Thieves Can Be Heroes!
by Mugiwara N0 Luffy
Summary: Izuku Midoriya thought he was down on his luck the day that he was convicted of a crime for trying to save someone. As if being Quirkless wasn't enough, how was he supposed to become a hero with a criminal record? As it turns out, fate had another plan for him.
1. Chapter 1

**UPDATE: Thanks to the awesome help of my beta reppuzan, I'm going to be updating the past chapters with his skillful editing now in place. He adds quite a bit in detail, so it would likely be even better to read through the story again once all the edits are done.**

" _Now arriving at Yongen-Jaya station."_

The overhead announcement quickly roused a young boy who was on the verge of falling asleep. Standing at five-foot-five, he was about as tall as one would expect a fifteen-year-old to be, if not a bit shorter. His hair was a large mess of dark green bordering on black with matching colored eyes. A cluster of freckles rested under each cheek. As far as muscles went, he looked fairly average in his everyday clothes, though one would realize that he was actually quite well-built if they caught shirtless or in a tank top. they'd realize that he was actually quite well built.

This is Izuku Midoriya, a first-year high school student who lived in Mustafu, home of U.A. High, the most prestigious Hero school in Japan. But now he was traveling through the bustling streets of Tokyo to live with a family friend. Around him was a sea of unfamiliar faces, all men and women just trying to get on with their lives without a fuss, same as him. But he doubted that they faced the same difficulties that he now faced.

As the subway arrived at the station, Izuku couldn't stop a heavy sigh from escaping his lips, taking a moment to breathe before stepping through the exit. He pulled out his phone and checked his navigation app, making sure that he was heading the right way.

"It's not that far from here…" he muttered to himself. As Izuku moved to close the app, he jumped as another appeared at the center of the screen. It was a strangely persistent program, always returning no matter how many times he deleted it. The app's logo was an ominous red eye with a black star for a pupil against a jagged black starburst, as if it were suspended in the remnants of a broken mirror. Its creepy appearance only made him want to get rid of it more.

"What kind of virus did my phone catch? I should probably take it to a repair shop when I get the chance…" Izuku sighed, touching the app and placing it in the trash bin. He looked up at the signs littered across the walls of the tunnel, following one that directed him to the backstreets of Yongen-Jaya.

In comparison to Shibuya, this tram was far smaller and had less crowded than the trains he rode earlier. Truth be told, Izuku was grateful for the tamer scenery. After all, he was going to spend a year in a city known for its bumper-to-bumper traffic and massive crowds just to get to his new school. At least he could relax in a place away from the worst of the hustle and bustle.

As he climbed the staircase to reach the streets, Izuku found Yongen-Jaya to be exactly what he expected: a quiet sub-section of the city with little foot traffic compared to the rest of Tokyo. This certainly made it easier for him to find his way to the backstreets where his supposed guardian was now living. But when Izuku arrived at the back alley, he realized his navigation app wouldn't be of any use in this part of town.

"Guess I should ask for directions…" Izuku glanced about at his surroundings. For a backstreet, the area was oddly busy with both people and businesses than he thought it'd be. To his left, he saw several apartment buildings with pedestrians loitering around. To his right, he spotted a sign for several businesses: a public bath, a batting cage and a coffee shop. Izuku also remembered passing a small thrift store as well. None of these were particularly busy from what he could see, but the people that were here seemed to frequent the area.

"Mom said that… Sakura-san owned a coffee shop, right?" Izuku mused aloud, trying to recall the words his mother had said to him before he departed.

 _I-I'm sorry, Izuku! I don't want to do this, b-but please bear with it! It was the only choice I had…_

Izuku pushed back the memory of his mother's farewell, tears threatening to escape the edges of his eyes. No one was more broken up about his departure than his own mother, not even Izuku. It was a harsh reality for both of them to face the day the verdict came in. No, Izuku was more broken up about the opportunity that was lost to him...

"Hey, kid. What are you loitering around for?" A gruff voice disrupted the teen's line of thought. Izuku turned to his left to see an officer approaching him. True to his nature, Izuku felt his voice catch in his throat as he waved his arms around spastically.

"S-sorry, officer! I-I'm just trying to f-find my way around!" Izuku stuttered. He'd always been something of a nervous wreck and today was no different.

"A-alright kid, slow down." The officer coughed, realizing how much he actually scared Izuku. "Where… exactly are you trying to get to?"

"O-oh, uh…" Izuku nearly choked on his words, trying to collect himself and formulate a proper response. "I am-uh-trying to find Sojiro Sakura's place of residence, sir!" He said louder than he meant to. The officer raised a brow at this and nodded, pointing further down the alley.

"Sakura-san lives about three rows down, on your right." The officer helpfully pointed out before Izuku offered a grateful smile.

"I-I see, thank you, sir! I'll be on my way, then." Izuku bowed in appreciation as he spun on his heels to leave.

"Wait, kid. Sakura-san likely isn't home right now. He's probably at his cafe." The cop stopped him, pointing down one of the closer alleyways with his thumb. "Just go straight down, it'll be on your left. It's called Cafe Leblanc. You can't miss it."

"O-oh, I see. Thank you again, officer!" Izuku gratefully nodded, following the man's directions and heading for the coffee shop. Once upon a time, Izuku wanted to be a police officer and couldn't help but admire those in the line of duty. Of course, he knew that some of them t were corrupt, but Izuku had faith seeing how the officer went out of his way to help him.

But those dreams fell to the wayside the first time he saw All Might in action. It was then and there that Izuku knew what he was going to do. He was going to find his Quirk, become a Hero and save people with a smile!

Or so he thought, at least.

When he found out that he was Quirkless at four years old, that dream seemed to be an ocean away. Now he was a Quirkless kid with a criminal record. What little chance he had to become a Hero seemed to be shrinking more and more with each passing day.

It only took Izuku a few minutes to reach the cafe in question. It was a hole in the wall, charmingly modest in size. A peppermint colored awning with the shop's logo, "Coffee and Curry: Leblanc", hung over the entrance, illuminated by a single red light bulb. With bated breath, Izuku meekly pushed the door to the cafe open, a bell above the door jingling at his arrival.

The interior was no more extravagant than the exterior. A row of five booths sat on his left while a bar lined with jars of coffee beans was positioned to his right. The furnishings were all a chocolatey brown save for the rainbow mosaic ceiling lamps, the cherry-colored seat cushions by the bar and the marble white tilings and tables. But the impact of all of these things paled before the rich, dark aroma of coffee that filled the teen's nose as soon as he stepped inside.

At the moment, there were only three occupants, an elderly couple and a middle-aged barista sitting on a cherry-colored chair in front of the counter. The barista wore a pink button-up shirt and khaki pants underneath an apron. His face was beginning to show signs of wear, a few wrinkles ran across his brow and on either side of his nose, but he certainly looked decades younger than the people he was serving. His hairline had receded all the way back to his scalp, but what remained was slicked back and as dark as the coffee he was serving. He sported a matching chinstrap beard with a goatee that protruded from his chin. His round, thin-rimmed glasses clung tightly to his pointed nose, which was currently stuck in a newspaper.

Seeing no one else around, Izuku assumed that this was Sojiro Sakura.

"These crashes are becoming rather frequent. I'm beginning to wonder what exactly is going on in the world right now." The old man of the couple commented aloud, most likely speaking to the distracted store owner. "Perhaps some of those Heroes will be able to put a stop to it."

"Four letter word for a shellfish that's used for farming pearls…" Midoriya heard the barista mutter.

"U-um… sir…" Izuku began, finally making his presence known. The man Izuku assumed was Sojiro pulled his attention away from his crossword, glancing up at the teen for a moment before sighing.

"Right… Inko did just call earlier…" The man hummed, folding his paper and placing it back on the bar behind him before standing up. At the same time, the old couple also stood from their seats, bowing politely.

"I believe we'll be heading home now, Sakura-san. It's nice to have to not worry about any cars crashing in here." The old man chuckled, his comment seeming rather random to both Sojiro and Izuku.

"What?" The coffee shop owner asked in confusion.

"The rampage accidents. They've been all over the news lately, after all." The old man reiterated.

Izuku remembered hearing a few news channels mention the crashes. Drivers would suddenly have mental shutdowns at the wheel, causing their cars to careen out of control. Now that he was living where all of these terrible accidents were happening on a daily basis, he couldn't help but shudder at little.

Sojiro, on the other hand, was entirely unperturbed.

"None of my concern."

"Nothing phases you, eh, boss? Anyways, have a good day." With that, the elderly couple walked out of the cafe, Sojiro waiting for them to disappear around the corner before sighing.

"Four hours for only one cup of joe…" Sojiro grumbled tiredly before straightening up as he looked at Izuku. "Sorry for the wait. I'm Sojiro Sakura, your new guardian for the time being." He finally introduced himself.

The boy's composure collapsed in an instant under Sojiro's gaze.

"I-I'm I-Izuku Midoriya! I-it's a pl-pleasure to finally meet you, sir!" Izuku sputtered out, bowing low as he tried to make a decent first impression.

"Geez, kid. Relax a little. I was going for intimidating, not terrifying…" Sojiro sighed, waving for him to stand up. "And enough of the 'sir' thing. You can call me boss or Sakura-san."

"Ye-yes si-I mean-Sakura-san." Izuku corrected quickly, straightening his posture as best he could as he continued to tremble. Sojiro gave the boy a quick once over before smirking.

"I figured you'd look like your mom, but to be honest you're almost the spitting image of her," Sojiro continued, leaning on the bar as he spoke. "Now, I'm sure you understand the circumstances behind our arrangement. From today on until next year, I'm going to be your acting guardian. You'll be staying with me until your probation is over. Though, to be honest, when Inko told me her kid was in trouble like this, I had no idea what to expect. Far as I can tell, though, you're actually pretty similar to your mom."

"Y-yeah, I get that a lot…" Izuku sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. It was no secret that Izuku took after his mother when it came to his looks and his frayed nerves.

"But that's what gets me. You got in trouble for assault, right?" Sojiro hummed, holding his chin in thought. The mere mention of his crime caused the teen to visibly flinch. "Why would a kid like you stick your nose in something like that when you're this skittish?"

Izuku cast his gaze towards the ground, the words leaden in his throat until Sojiro was just about to change the subject. "That woman was calling out for help. I couldn't just do nothing…"

Sojiro raised a brow after he got his answer, watching as Izuku glanced up and met his eyes for the first time. The cafe owner sighed, scratching under his chin and shaking his head. "Well, whatever your reason for butting in, you should have stayed out of it. Sticking your nose where it doesn't belong brings you nothing but trouble. Not to mention the trouble it causes for people around you like your mother. There are professionals for this kind of thing You could've gone to a police officer or even an actual Hero, for that matter. Did you even think about what the consequences of meddling were before you ran in?"

The boy couldn't come up with a response, only casting his gaze away from his new guardian. Had Izuku been anything like he expected, Sojiro would have been far more firm in his approach. But considering what he'd already seen from his new ward and the fact that this kid was Inko's son, he decided to ease up.

"I'm sure I can trust you not to cause any trouble. From what your mom's told me, you've never had an incident like this before, anyway. Just try to keep your head down and you should get through the school year just fine."

"I-I see… thank you again for taking me under your roof, Sakura-san." Izuku nodded, bowing again in appreciation.

"Geez, kid. You're making it hard to give a stronger hand on all this," Sojiro sighed, shaking his head before turning around. "Come on. I'm going to show you to your room."

He led Izuku to the stairs at the back of the cafe. Once they reached the top, Sojiro stepped aside to allow Izuku to step further inside. The boy wasn't quite sure what he was looking at.

"This will be your room from now on. You've got a bed in that corner and some sheets I'll bring you a little later to put on," Sojiro declared, seemingly oblivious to the mess that had overtaken the room.

A half dozen cardboard boxes, canisters of gasoline, a heater, a stepladder, opaque garbage bags and a tropical house plant of some kind sat on a tarp on the right side of the room. It was hard to decide what was trash and what wasn't. The floor was caked with dust and the left side of the room, which was littered with even more boxes and bags, looked no better than the right.

There were a number of shelves and even a coffee table, but they were all filled with old newspapers, chair cushions, and assorted junk that were all covered in cobwebs. A number of bare, white light bulbs hung from the ceiling. There was also clouded glass window above the bed, but it was so filthy that little natural light filtered through.

"It's um… big?" Izuku forced out, unable to come up with anything more polite to say. At the very least, it was bigger than the room he had at home, but there was just so much stuff in here that he couldn't use any of the space.

"You mean cluttered?" Sojiro chuckled with a smirk before placing a hand on the green-haired teen's shoulder. "You'll have to clean it all yourself, kid. By the way, your mom sent all your clothes and things earlier. It's in the box over there." Sojiro pointed toward the dusty worktable on the far corner to the left of the window, a cardboard box sitting at the bottom.

Izuku nodded. "I-I see, thank you…."

"Yeah. By the way, while I don't think you'll do anything of the sort, don't go taking anything from the shop, got it? I won't hesitate to throw you out, even if your mother is an old friend of mine."

The venom in his words made Izuku flinch, but he nodded in understanding again.

"Now I've gotta keep the shop running," Sojiro continued. "Get yourself situated here, but try to keep it down. I don't want my customers bothered by the noise, got it?"

"Y-yes, Sakura-san. I'll do my best…" Izuku glanced back at the ocean of clutter before him. Sojiro only nodded, turning around and heading back down the stairs to the cafe. Izuku took a moment to process his situation, trying to sort out what exactly led to this sudden change in his life.

* * *

 _The consequences of meddling, huh?_

 _It all happened a little over a month ago. That one, meaningless incident had escalated in a heartbeat.._

 _Izuku was on his way home from the gym after a long day at school. The sun had already set and the streetlights were flickering to life as he proceeded down the familiar sidewalks of his hometown. He was looking over all of his notes from class as well as whatever he had written down in his burnt Hero Analysis notebook._

" _Eraserhead's capture weapon is really cool… it has to be made of some kind of special nanofiber and metal alloy to be able to restrain Villains so well. I probably won't be able to get anything that expensive before the exam, but could I get something similar? I should probably study his techniques too since his Quirk doesn't enhance his physical prowess…." He thought aloud._

 _The U.A. Entrance Exam was fast-approaching. If Izuku was going to get into the school of his dreams, the alma mater of the World's Greatest Hero, then he had to put in twice the amount of work as anyone else to make up for his Quirklessness. Never mind the fact that the school only admitted one-in-three-hundred applicants. U.A. had never admitted a Quirkless student before, but that didn't mean it was an impossibility, right?_

 _Then, as he was rounding the corner just a few blocks from his home, he heard the woman scream._

" _Someone, please! Help me!"_

 _Izuku's eyes immediately began darting around to find the source of the scream. Not much further down the street, he spotted a woman trying to wrest her hands out of the grip of a bald man in an expensive-looking suit. Izuku didn't stop to process anything else as he sprinted towards them._

 _He'd always done this. It was a problem of his, rushing to the aid of anyone who asked for it before he even had a chance to think about what he was doing._

 _But he couldn't help it, his feet just moved on their own._

" _You bitch… you think you can... Refuse me?" The man slurred out, obviously drunk. He reached out and grabbed her other arm to hold her in place. "You've got no idea… what I can do…"_

" _St-stop it!" Izuku's voice scratched out, almost cracking but holding just enough weight for the fighting pair to pause at his intrusion. The drunk threw a sideways glance Izuku's way._

" _Get lost, kid… this is… none of your concern…" The drunk huffed out irritably before turning back to the woman and pulling her closer. Izuku bit his bottom lip, unsure what exactly he could do against the much larger man._

 _He may have started working out, but he doubted he could do much against a fully grown man. But Izuku didn't waste another second as the woman cried out again, dropping his bag on the ground and rushing forward._

" _I-I told you to stop it! Leave her alone!" Izuku snapped, summoning whatever courage he could muster as he grabbed the man's arm and pulled. Much to Izuku's surprise, the man quickly lost his footing and tripped, hitting the ground face first._

 _"Wh-what? I-I didn't… pull that hard…" Izuku muttered, the woman beside him gasping in fear. The man grunted in pain before rolling on his ass and glaring at Izuku, holding his face to cover the bloody cut he received._

" _You damn brat! I'll sue!"_

* * *

Izuku found it morbidly funny how a single decision could have changed his life so drastically. He imagined that this would have been a life-changing event, but he hoped that it would have been for the better. Now, only weeks after being arrested and placed on trial, Izuku was now on probation with a record for his "violent act". He could already feel the tears at the corners of his eyes as he gripped his hand in frustration.

But it wasn't moving away that hurt the most. Nor was it his year-long probation. What stung most of all was the fact that with a criminal record, his chances of becoming a Pro Hero had all but vanished.

The trial made him miss the U.A. Entrance Exam, meaning that he'll never be able to get the training he needed to become a Hero. He'd never be able to get a license or get employed at a Hero Office.

Sure, Shujin was a prestigious preparatory school, but it had no Hero Course to speak of. Even if it did, the school would never admit someone like him into it.

As if being Quirkless wasn't enough of a strike on his life already. What kind of Hero Office would accept someone with a record, anyways?

Izuku shook his head, trying to erase those drifting thoughts from his mind for the moment. "No use dwelling on it… just have to endure…" He muttered. Those had words having become something of a personal mantra ever since he was sentenced.

He'd cried his eyes out over this too many times to count. As things were, he would try and just deal with it now. It wouldn't do him any good to keep shedding tears.

 _There has to be a way I can become a Hero. There has to be way. There has to be a way..._

He glanced around the room at the clutter again. It was a bit of a depressing sight, but it was a welcome one. At the very least, it'd be the perfect way to get his mind off that fateful day.

"I'll start with this room!" Izuku huffed, radiating a determined glow as he set to work. For the next few hours, Izuku devoted himself to the tedious task of sorting through and throwing away the junk he found. He wasn't a neat freak, but he didn't plan on spending the next year in a pigsty. After all, Heroes needed to organized and ready for anything.

The day came and went, Izuku finishing whatever he could as night fell. By the time he realized that the moonlight was shining through the now cleaned window, most of the left side of the room had been cleared and the junk on the right side had been sorted into what was obviously junk and what he would ask Sojiro would be okay to throw out or keep.

"Damn." Izuku heard Sojiro whistle, turning around to see the coffee shop owner glancing around the room. "I figured you were a hard worker but I didn't think you'd get so much done already. Not bad. Though I guess it's normal to want to keep your room clean."

"I-I've come up with a list of things I found in here." Izuku declared, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out a notepad. "First, there were a bunch of things like books and small pieces of hardware lying around. I wanted to ask you what would be okay to toss out. There was a bike in the pile that seems to be in decent shape. I put the less practical but noteworthy items in a trash bag for you to sort through. The ones that seemed more important I put into those boxes next to them, but if you find something you still want to throw out among them, you can. I then started to…"

And so began one of Izuku's infamous mumble storms. Sojiro could only look on incredulously as the green-haired teen muttered his way through each and every item he had jotted down.

"Wh-whoa kid, slow down. Breathe a little before you choke," the cafe owner finally interjected, snapping Izuku to attention. "You always ramble like that?"

Izuku blushed, rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment.

"Y-yeah, sorry about that… I've been known to do that sometimes…" He admitted, remembering the times he'd be caught doing the same at school.

"Well… anyways, I'm getting ready to lock up. Try and head to bed. You don't want to stay up too late and catch a cold," Sojiro suggested, turning around to leave. "If you're hungry, I made you a plate of curry downstairs. Just warm it up and you should be good to go."

"A-ah, I see. Th-thank you, Sakura-san." Izuku nodded, bowing in appreciation.

"Yeah. Just remember not to touch anything else. Oh, just as a reminder before I go, tomorrow we're visiting your new school, Shujin Academy. We've got to get your class schedule and meet with the principal."

"I-I understand. Thank you again…" With that, Sojiro turned again to leave.

"B-but I was wondering… how come I'm staying here instead of… at your house? If you don't mind me asking…"

He stopped for a moment before glancing back at Izuku.

"There are a few reasons for it. All of them are **none** of your concern."

Izuku flinched at the blunt statement, nodding in acceptance as it was obvious he wasn't going to get much else out of Sojiro on the subject.

"R-right, sorry for prying…"

Sojiro saw the look of defeat on Izuku's face and sighed. "Look, just know it's nothing to do with you. Besides, this place is much bigger than any room I've got and we'll both have our privacy this way. Anyways, I've gotta get going to make dinner. I'll see you in the morning."

With that, the shop owner finally took off for home. Izuku sighed in resignation, glancing around and looking at his new bed. With all the work he put into cleaning this place, even a beat-up mattress like this one looked welcoming and he felt too weary to venture downstairs and heat up a plate of curry.

"Guess I'll just head to bed…." Izuku took a step forward, but paused when he heard his phone ring. He blinked as he whipped out his phone, only to be greeted by the familiar app that infected his his cell. "Again? This spyware just won't go away…"

More for self-reassurance than anything, Izuku moved the app to the trash bin. Releasing another weary sigh, the green-haired teen trotted to his bed and laid flat on his back, lazily pulling the blanket to cover his legs.

"Guess this is the next year for me…" He muttered to no one in particular, his eyelids becoming heavier with each passing second. He didn't fight it, allowing sleep to come.

* * *

It didn't last long.

Izuku's eyes suddenly shot open as an unsettling feeling overcame his body. Something was definitely wrong.

The ceiling was much darker than before and higher off the ground than he remembered. A faint light shined above his head, and the walls around him were much closer than before.

The teen sat up in a state of panic, now getting a look at his attire.

"Wh-what is this?!"

Gone were the clothes he had decided to sleep in. They were replaced with the prisoner's costume you'd see in cartoons. The shirt and pants were worn and ragged, covered with alternating horizontal stripes of black and white. His wrists were bound by a set of dark iron cuffs with a chain between them. Izuku got chills at the thought of a possible kidnapping.

He leaped to his feet and searched for an exit, only to find it sealed off by steel bars. He threw himself at the bars, nearly tripping when he realized his ankle was being weighed down. He then glanced toward the back of the cell to find that his leg was shackled to a comically large iron ball bigger than his head, including his hair. But nothing about Izuku's situation felt humorous.

"So you've finally awoken." Izuku jumped when he heard a menacingly deep voice, snapping his attention back out of the room. Outside of his cell was a circular room lined with other cells that were all bathed in a deep blue glow. An aging man sat at a large desk covered with papers and a single lampshade in the center, a few meters away from Izuku's cell. A single searchlight shone down on the man and a four-directional megaphone hung above his head.

Even though Izuku was used to seeing people with strange Quirks that gave them multiple arms, animal-like heads and other unusual mutations, something about this man was unnatural and unnerving.

The top of his head was completely bald, strands of snow white hair ringing the sides and back like the edges of an old tapestry. His arms were unusually lanky and noodle-like. His eyes were wider than saucers. Most notable of all was the man's obscenely long, hawkish nose.

"Trickster," he began as he gestured towards Izuku with a gloved hand. "Welcome to my Velvet Room."

Izuku meekly placed his hands on the bars as he stared at his captor, unable to formulate a solid response. Instead, the man's lips curled up as watched the teen fruitlessly pull at the bars. The captive screaming the one thing any sane person would in this predicament:

" **What's going on?!** "

 **To be continued…**

…

…

 **I know, I know. I'm terrible. I keep saying 'hey, remember to keep a balance of stories! You don't want to overwhelm yourself!'. Then the evil side of me responds with 'it's one more story, don't be a bitch'. That meme aptly describes my situation lol.**

 **Now, to be honest, I would really like for someone to take this story from me and write it out themselves. That would be awesome. But it's also fairly rare for me to see anyone actually take one of my story ideas and expand upon it. I won't count on that possibility.**

 **So, yeah. This is my latest story idea,** _ **Thieves Can Be Heroes!**_ **I've been wanting to do an MHA crossover as well as a Persona crossover, which just happened to work well together when I thought it out! Now, usually I'm not one for replacing the main protagonist entirely by another character, but considering the little actual character in Akira that you get aside from what you make him do, I didn't really feel bad about it.**

 **I've come to really like Izuku's character and resolve, and I think it actually works well with the whole theme of Persona 5. I look forward to making this story to be honest, even with my other projects, and trying to make it feel a bit fresh as well. I don't want to spoil anything, but I am going for a slightly more original run on this.**

 **Now there is one issue I wouldn't mind receiving ideas for: MHA characters and incorporating them as Arcana's. Now they don't have to be teammates, they can be just regular arcana's made like Hifumi Togo or Chihaya. Certain characters, I feel, can be replaced for this sake as Arcana's, and perhaps even add additional teammates. Someone like Aizawa could be added as a combat/knife instructor for instance. Among other possibilities.**

 **Anyways, that's it for this first chapter. I just wanted to establish the story and it's starting ground. I hope you all liked it as an intro and that you will decide to follow and review for me, maybe even favorite. It would be greatly appreciated, thank you!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I own neither My Hero Academia or the Persona Series.**

Chapter 2

" **What's going on?!** "

If Izuku had thought through things a bit more logically, he might have assumed this was all but a dream. In which case, he could also assume it was a nightmare. But everything around him felt too real. Izuku couldn't remember a time when his mind had been so clear during a dream.

Izuku had spent enough time studying Heroes and Villains to rationalize his predicament a dozen different ways, but he wasn't sure if he wanted to acknowledge any of them.

 ***BANG***

"Quiet, inmate!" Izuku jumped in fright as the bars he gripped were suddenly struck. Looking for the source, Izuku found a pair of small girls, twins, standing in front of his cell. Both wore identical uniforms, velvet-collared blue shirts with black ties and thigh-length pleated shorts. The girls both shared platinum blonde hair and golden eyes. While they both wore an eyepatch over one eye, they each wore it on a different side.

Their hair was also styled differently. The one who struck the bars having two buns on each side of her head while the other had a long braid running straight down her back. The twin to his right obviously held the baton that struck his cell, while the twin to his left carried a clipboard. Upon closer inspection, he also noticed that their hats had English letters on them. The girl with the baton had "X-R-M-N" embroidered on the front of her hat, while the girl with the clipboard had "O-Y-O-O" on hers.

"All will be explained in due time, prisoner. Allow our master to continue," the twin on his left said, her voice stoic when compared to the her sister. "The you in reality is currently fast asleep. You are correct to assume that this is a dream."

"Speaking of our master, stand up straight!" The rude twin ordered, glaring from the side as she turned her back to Izuku. "Show some respect!"

"Welcome. I am delighted to make your acquaintance," The long-nosed man said before Izuku could ask any of the many questions that were currently forming in his head. "This place exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. It is a room that only those who are bound by a 'contract' may enter. My name is Igor, the master of this place. Remember it well."

Izuku gulped as he heard the strange man's name, nodding slowly in acceptance. It was probably one of the few things since this dream started that wasn't terribly confusing.

"S-so if this is some kind of dream, but also real… why am I here?"

"I summoned you to speak of important matters," Igor answered cryptically, glancing around the room. "Still, this is quite a surprise. This room is designed to reflect the state of your heart. To think a prison would appear as such."

Igor chuckled, glancing back at Izuku. "You truly are a 'prisoner' of fate. To be born Quirkless in a world full of wonderful powers, I would say that this idea applies quite well to you."

Izuku couldn't help but flinch at the mention of his nonexistent powers. It seems that even here, in some dream or nightmare, either it be, he would be reminded of such.

"In the near future, make no mistake that ruin awaits you," Now this drew Izuku's attention back to the subject at hand.

"R-ruin? What do you mean by that...?" Izuku asked, unsure what he was supposed to do with such a vague promise of doom.

"Exactly what you might think: the end to everything. But worry not, prisoner. We shall provide you with the means of avoiding this fate," Igor declared, waving his hand around as he spoke. "To avoid this fate, you must be 'rehabilitated'. Rehabilitated toward freedom. That is your only means of avoiding ruin… Do you have the resolve to face the distortion of this world?"

"W-w-wait a moment, I'm still confused!" Izuku exclaimed, waving his hands in front of him. "I mean, of course I want to avoid ruin! But nothing you're saying is-"

"Good, then. Allow me to observe your path to rehabilitation," Igor interrupted without a care as Izuku slumped against the bars.

 _He completely avoided my questions…_

The boy's gaze then turned to the twins from before, both standing at attention in front of him.

"Ah, forgive me for not introducing the others. To your right is Caroline; to your left, Justine. They serve as wardens here."

"Hmph. Try and struggle all you like! Though you don't look very tough," Caroline taunted with a small smirk, but Izuku couldn't find the strength to refute her.

"We wardens are here to protect the inmates. We are also your collaborators," Justine spoke up this time, her voice carrying the same amount of stoicism as before. "That is, if you remain obedient. Though you don't look the type to rebel."

"I get the feeling you're both making fun of me…" Izuku grumbled, leaning on the bars for support.

"I will explain their roles at another occasion," Igor said, tapping his desk with his fingers. "Now, then, It seems the night is waning. It is almost time. Take your time to slowly come to understand this place. We will surely meet again, eventually…"

With a wave of his hand, the sound of a bell began to echo through the circular prison. Izuku's eyes darted around to find the source.

"Time is up. Hurry and return to sleep, inmate," Caroline ordered with a glare.

"W-wait, though! I still have so many questions!" Izuku cried out, reaching forward and gripping the steel bars. Not a moment later did his body suddenly slacken, his eyelids getting heavier with each passing moment. "I want to… know what's…"

He didn't have the chance to finish his sentence before sleep finally took him.

* * *

As he slowly peeled his eyes open, Izuku surveyed his surroundings once more as he sat back up, sighing in relief as he recognized the attic of Cafe Leblanc.

 _What a strange dream… but it felt so real. And I remember it all so clearly… but I still can't make heads or tails of anything they were saying._

"Hey, kid. You up?" Izuku turned to the stairs leading to his room, watching as Sojiro climbed to the top of the stairwell. His outfit had changed little, only ditching the apron for a white blazer and sporting a white trilby with a red-white-and-blue hat band. "Oh, good. Make sure to wash up. We're going to be leaving soon to introduce ourselves to the school staff. Now, your new school will be in the Aoyama district. You'll have to take the train and route transfers are a pain. So for today, and today only, I'll drive you up there."

"I-I see… thank you, Sakura-san," Izuku nodded, pulling his blanket off of his feet and kicking them over the bed.

"Yeah. Just get downstairs and wash your face, at least. Then we can go," Sojiro said before turning around and stomping down the steps. "Sheesh… only women are usually allowed in my passenger seat…" Izuku heard him mutter, the green-haired teen could laugh weakly in response.

He swallowed some of the spit that gathered in his mouth and sighed yet again, looking at the wall in thought.

 _Maybe all of that was just a dream... I've been having a lot of stress, right? Yeah, that's it..._

* * *

The drive to Shujin wasn't long, though Izuku guessed that was probably because they had left before traffic had really started to build up. Izuku took a moment to stare up at the intimidating building, which resembled a prison more than a school.

It was made of dull, gray cement and parts of the building protruded outward around the stone steps leading inside, forming an inverted "U". A black, minimalist clock hung above and to the right of the door while a stone fence wrapped around the entirety of the school and was lined with green shrubbery.

The only way in or out was through the front gate, which was made of black cast iron shaped into concentric circles with numerous gaps in between the lines. All of the circles were split in half along the hinge of the gate. Warnings against bad behavior like smoking and loitering hung on the gate along with reminders to be in class before 8:00 a.m.

"Alright, looks like we're here," Sojiro stated, stopping in his pace and glancing back at Izuku. "Now, look. Try not to say anything unnecessary in there. Just do your best to stay out of trouble."

"O-of course. I wouldn't want to cause you any trouble, Sakura-san," Izuku nodded meekly, Sojiro releasing a heavy sigh as he rubbed his face.

"I'm still having trouble picturing you as a delinquent with a record…" Sojiro muttered to himself. "But yes, I'd like for you to avoid that. I'm not going to act like I know you well enough to care what happens to you, but I'd hate to be chewed out by your mom if something does."

Izuku nodded in understanding, knowing that the two had met only yesterday. If anything, Izuku just appreciated the fact that Sojiro didn't completely write him off from the get go. He was getting a lot of that nowadays.

It didn't take long for the two to find their way to the principal's office, the two easily making their way through the halls and following the directory. The layout of the school was surprisingly straightforward. It wouldn't take long for Izuku to gain his bearings. Izuku and Sojiro were then greeted by two adults, one an incredibly portly bald man in a brown suit, and the other a woman most likely in her late twenties.

She wore a yellow and white striped shirt and a simple jean skirt. Her hair was wavy and she wore a tired expression on her face as she greeted them.

The one thing both adults had in common was that they both glared at Izuku as if they were trying to bore holes through him. Their gazes made him nervous, breaking eye contact as he struggled to keep his jitteriness hidden. He couldn't get over being treated like a criminal no matter how many times he experienced it.

"Did you have something for me to sign?" Sojiro asked, skipping over the pleasantries and just wanting to get things over with.

"Why, yes. Please, just fill out some of these forms and we'll be done here," The fat man explained, pushing several papers forward for Sojiro to look at. The nameplate on the table revealed his name to be Kobayakawa.

The coffee shop owner nodded, leaning forward and taking a pen to look over the papers. The plump man quickly shifted his gaze over to Izuku, his expression hardening once again.

"Just so we're clear, if you cause any trouble, you will be expelled."

"Y-yes sir…" Izuku muttered, stiffening up as he gave a numb nod.

"Honestly, I hesitated to accept someone with your record, but there were some… circumstances on our side," Kobayakawa huffed, reaching across the table and grabbing a few papers. "You did excel academically in middle school. That's not an indicator you're a good student, but at least you'll be able to pass your classes here."

"I-I'll try not to be a nuisance to anyone," Izuku once again nodded, this time giving an apologetic bow. He couldn't see it, but the female teacher seemed to soften her gaze at the sight of him. Izuku didn't know it, but his meekness made him good at getting others to sympathize with him.

Then again, growing up with someone like Katsuki Bakugou probably helped.

"This is Sadayo Kawakami. She is a second-year homeroom teacher. She will not be in charge of your class, but she was available to help introduce you to our schoo," Kobayakawa explained, motioning to the female teacher next to him.

"Welcome to Shujin Academy," Kawakami sighed, her voice hiding little of her apathy and resignation. "Please read the school handbook and follow the rules. If you end up messing up, I won't be able to help you and neither will any of your other teachers."

"I-I'm sorry to burden you, Kawakami-sensei. Please take care of me," Izuku bowed once more. The brunette teacher could only raise a brow before glancing over at Kobayakawa.

"Are you… sure this is the kid with a criminal record? He looks like he could barely hurt a fly." Sojiro could barely stifle a chuckle as Izuku felt sweat running down his neck out of embarrassment.

"Looks can be deceiving, Kawakami-san. Do your best to keep an eye on him while you can," the fat principal asserted, straightening out his jacket before turning back to Izuku and Sojiro.

"That will be all for today. You will officially begin school starting tomorrow," He then turned to the coffee shop owner specifically, "Sakura-san, please keep an eye on him. We don't want him causing trouble outside of school as well."

"Well, I'll be sure to remind him once we get back," Sojiro sighed in exasperation.

"Come to the faculty office when you arrive at school tomorrow. I'll guide you to your classroom," Kawakami explained further. "Other than that, you're free to go."

"Thank you for your time," Sojiro politely nodded to the two instructors, turning around and motioning for Izuku to follow. The meek teen offered a deep bow to both Kobayakawa and Kawakami before leaving and rushing out after his current guardian. Kawakami waited a for the two to leave before releasing a heavy sigh, turning to the fat principal.

"I know I said I wanted overtime work, but I didn't imagine this…," The female teacher groaned, rubbing her arm in annoyance. "Was this really the only thing you could have me do?"

"It was a last minute transfer. The first-year classes are always packed and I couldn't find anyone else for his first day," Kobayakawa admitted, giving a somewhat sympathetic look to Kawakami. "Just endure it a little longer and you will be paid for the time. Just keep an eye on him. I know he might look a bit meek, but remember that he has a criminal record for assault. It would be best for you to be careful around him."

"Right… I'll keep that in mind," Kawakami nodded with a sigh, resigning herself to the idea. "What's his Quirk, anyway?"

"Oh, about that. He's Quirkless," Kobayakawa answered. The brunette teacher blinked in disbelief.

"W-wait, how did a Quirkless kid get a record for assault?"

* * *

Sojiro and Izuku walked in silence until they reached the main entrance, the coffee shop owner releasing a heavy sigh.

"To think that even the staff would treat you like a nuisance. I guess school never changes, even in this day and age…"

He glanced back at Izuku, who looked like a kicked puppy as tears threatened to leak at the corner of his eyes.

Sojiro could understand how hard it was for the meek kid to be labeled a criminal, especially by adults who were supposed to support and guide him to adulthood.

"Come on. Let's get out of here before traffic hits, hopefully."

"Y-yes, Sakura-san…" Izuku muttered in agreement, his eyes still cast to the ground. Sojiro was tempted to say something, but decided that nothing he could say would console him. Not to mention he was trying to remain distant from the boy to be his disciplinarian. He already broke character the first time around. So they walked to the car in silence.

They didn't exchange a word until they hit the main streets of Shibuya, where they immediately ran into one of Tokyo's infamous traffic jams. The cars only had just enough room to inch along their current lane and there was no way for them to switch to a local road from their current position.

"Damn it, this traffic is going nowhere!" Sojiro cursed in irritation, glancing at Izuku sternly. "You're taking the train, starting tomorrow."

"Wh-what do you think caused this?" Izuku muttered curiously, gazing across the line of cars before them.

"Who knows. We are in Shibuya, after all. It's probably just another traffic jam. Though from what I hear, those random psychotic breakdowns are probably behind it, too. A lot of problems all around," Sojiro sighed, leaning on his free hand in boredom as he barely needed to move the car. "And of course, the obvious answer would probably be-"

"Look, it's All Might!"

Izuku and Sojiro froze at the announcement, most likely from a driver in another car. Without warning, Izuku threw his door open and waded into traffic.

"H-hey! What are you doing?!" Sojiro protested, his eyes wide at his ward's sudden impulsiveness.

His protests fell on deaf ears as Izuku continued to run ahead. Izuku's eyes had a spark the barista had never seen from him at the mere mention of the Number One Hero. Several other people had done the same, most of them hoping to catch a glimpse of the Symbol of Peace. The coffee shop owner groaned tiredly as he stepped out himself. Even if he was in the middle of a crowded street, most of the other drivers had done the same. He might as well get a show while he waited.

"Th-there he is!" Izuku pointed out, Sojiro following his line of sight. Jumping through the air was indeed All Might. He wore his classic blue and red spandex, his cape billowing in the air behind him. Under his arm there was some overly large and slightly deformed man, most likely due to his Quirk, beaten unconscious. Lifting his head somewhat, Sojiro could hear the boisterous laughter of the number one hero echoing through the air.

The coffee shop owner couldn't stop the smirk from edging at the corner of his mouth. He would never admit it, but even a hardened cynic like him was happy to see All Might in action. He wasn't a huge fan, but it was hard not to admire the so-called World's Greatest Hero.

But Izuku was grinning like a kid in a candy store, his glittering green eyes hiding no small amount of his admiration.

"S-so cool… I actually got to see him… He looks even cooler in person..."

"Careful, kid. You'll drool at this rate," Sojiro pointed out with a small chuckle, glancing at Izuku from the side. Despite taking notice of Sojiro this time, Izuku smile would not fade as he gazed at his guardian. "Didn't realize you were such a huge All Might fan. Though maybe it's normal for kids your age to look up to that guy."

"Of course! All Might is amazing in every sense of the word!" Izuku declared without hesitation, looking back to the sky to watch as the hero continued to jump from building to building, his figure slowly shrinking in the distance.

"Ever since I was little, I've always wanted to be a Hero just like… just like…" Izuku's grin finally began to disappear, his shoulders and pupils falling as he spoke. Harsh reality quickly evaporated what was left of his energetic stupor.

"Oh… right…"

Sojiro couldn't stop the sympathetic frown from spreading down his lips. Until now, Izuku had been meek, stammering mess. But after seeing the Symbol of Peace, he had almost become a completely different person. It surprised Sojiro more than anything that a feeble kid like Izuku wanted to be a hero, but it was obvious how passionate he was about the idea. Sojiro didn't say it, but he was well aware of Izuku's Quirklessness.

He wasn't sure if he should admire the boy's tenacity up to this point or if or be dumbstruck at his stupidity for wanting to become a Hero without a Quirk. But no matter what he thought, that dream was completely shattered now. Having missed his chance to attend a Hero School like U.A. and gaining a criminal record, Izuku's chances of becoming a Pro were practically nil. It was almost like he'd been forced to play a game that had been rigged against him from the start.

"Come on, kid. Let's go home," Sojiro finally spoke up again, his voice softer than usual. Izuku didn't bother looking at Sojiro, just offering a slow nod before returning to the car in silence.

 _Poor kid._

* * *

The moment Izuku and Sojiro arrived at Leblanc, Izuku returned to his room without a sound. Sojiro had deigned to leave him alone, wordlessly looking around his shop and checking for any problems. The traffic had been backed up for miles and the day was practically over already, so there was no reason for the shopkeeper to open up.

The green-haired teen pulled the box of his belongings out from underneath the workbench, flipping open the top and peeking inside. Having spent most of the previous day cleaning, Izuku missed the chance to take a look inside before. As he expected, his mother had packed his All Might memorabilia for him. The first thing he spotted being a rolled up poster. Next to it were articles of folded clothing as well as his weights for training. He knew he could do little without a Quirk, Izuku had been training his body as hard as he could in preparation for the U.A. Entrance Exam.

Izuku first pulled out the poster, but kept it rolled up as he set it aside. He then moved to the weights, pulling them out and walking back to the right front corner of his room and setting them down. He glanced around the room, trying to come up with other ways to to work out with the resources he had. He spotted the chair in the corner of the room before looking up at the ceiling. There was a low-hanging beam to the left of the workbench.

"Pull-ups would be pretty good for working out…" He muttered to himself, walking over to the chair and pulling it directly below the beam. Before he could proceed any further, Izuku heard footsteps climbing the stairs, glancing over to see Sojiro enter his room.

"Hey. I forgot to give this to you earlier, but…" Sojiro began as he reached into his pocket. As he looked up at Izuku though, he immediately froze and felt his jaw slacken. "Holy shit, kid… You're not thinking of…"

"Eh?" Izuku blinked in confusion at first, glancing at the beam and the chair before immediately putting two and two together.

"N-n-no, Sakura-san! N-nothing like that, I swear! I-I just figured that I could use the beam to work out! I-I often work out every day for about two hours or so!" He yelped, furiously waving his arms in the air in hopes of alleviating Sojiro's concern.

The coffee shop owner wasn't wholly convinced, his gaze obviously worried before glancing around his room. Seeing the weights on the ground though, Sojiro decided that Izuku might be telling the truth.

"Alright, alright, kid. I believe you. Just… try not to hurt yourself while you're working out," He sighed, reaching in his pocket again and pulling out a small notebook.

"I need to give you this. It's a diary. Since you're on probation, I have to report your daily activities. That's a pretty big hassle, so I want you to just write it all down in that diary for me."

"A-ah, I see. I'll be sure to do that…" Izuku nodded, just relieved that Sojiro didn't think he was trying to kill himself now.

"You might be on probation, but there aren't any special restrictions on what you can do. Aside from following the law, of course," Sojiro explained, crossing his arms in front of him. "Like I said before, don't go messing with anything downstairs. If you do I'll kick you out in a heartbeat."

While he didn't think Izuku was the type to mess around, his shop was one of the most important things to him. There was no harm in making that crystal clear.

"Anyways, that's about it. I'm going to head home now and start dinner," Izuku opened his mouth to say something, but stopped when he heard Sojiro's phone buzz. The shopkeeper reached in and pulled out his cell, a small smirk tugging at his lips before answering.

"Hey… Don't worry, I'll be over soon… I know, the usual, right?" He chuckled, paying no mind to Izuku's growing curiosity. "Got it, I'll be sure to grab some… see you soon, alright?"

With that, he hung up and stuffed the phone away, clearing his throat and looking back up at his ward. "Well, that's my signal to take off. By the way, I left you a plate of curry wrapped up if you're hungry. I noticed you didn't eat the one before, but I'm guessing you were just beat from cleaning up all day. Give it a taste, it might surprise you."

"A-ah, right. I'll be sure to have some tonight. Sorry for wasting the previous plate," Izuku apologized. He was actually famished now that he thought about it. He hadn't eaten a thing in two days because of how hectic things had been. He would definitely devour the plate once he was done working out.

"Don't worry about it. Considering it's house special, you'll have plenty of other chances to try it," Sojiro chuckled before turning around. "Alright, see you in the morning," He bid farewell, descending down the stairs.

Izuku returned to his workout, setting the chair under the beam so he could reach it before going over to his storage box and changing out of his school uniform and into a tank top and aqua sweatpants.

He started his usual routine with sit-ups and push-ups before moving on to pull-ups. His muscles tensed and tightened as he exercised. It had been well over a week since his last real workout due to all the events that transpired. It was nice to be able to get back in routine.

"Eleven… twelve…" Izuku counted with each pull-up, sweat already glistening off of his skin. His muscles strained with each pull-up, but he wouldn't give up. He had to get stronger so that he could…

 _Oh… right…_

Izuku seemed to be a glutton for punishment, having reminded himself for the umpteenth time about his current situation. Still, he continued to train. He wasn't going to give up hope. There had to be a way for him to achieve his goal. There had to be a way...

 _Just give it up, Deku! A Quirkless loser can't be a Hero! Forget whatever that idiot ever told you!_

Izuku felt his grip slipping, fingers struggling to keep him suspended in the air. His strength waned for a moment, but Izuku held as best he could before attempting another rep.

 _Did you think you were being some kind of Hero? You shouldn't stick your nose in adult business, kid. Now you'll_ _ **never**_ _be a Hero!_

Izuku finally lost his grip, grunting in pain as his ass hit the chair and knocked it aside, hitting the floor with no less force. Izuku rubbed his rear in pain and bit his lip in frustration as tears began to stream down his face once again.

No matter how many times he told himself to endure, things never changed.

He couldn't push his way through this situation like his bullying or his classes. Neither of those things had stolen his chance of achieving his dream.

It was like being told he was Quirkless again for the first time. He couldn't keep fooling himself.

He will never be a Hero.

 ***ring ring***

It took a moment for Izuku to realize the phone was ringing. With a slow bat of his eyes, Izuku finally picked himself up off the ground, ignoring the stinging tears that streaked down his cheeks. He reached into his pocket and checked his phone, though realized it wasn't his own that was ringing.

"It's coming from downstairs…," he muttered, his movements numb as he walked forward and down the steps. A yellow rotary phone was ringing away on the counter of the bar, the receiver hopping up each time the bell tolled. Izuku wondered who could possibly be calling the cafe at this time, but decided to just answer and find out.

"... Hello?" Izuku slowly answered, unsure if it was okay for him to do so in Sojiro's shop.

" _Yo, it's me."_

Izuku blinked. "S-Sakura-san?"

" _Yeah. Sorry to interrupt you if you were working out, but I need a small favor. Could you flip the open sign to closed for me? I forgot to do it on my way out."_

"S-sure, Sakura-san. I don't mind," Izuku glanced at the sign through the shop entrance.

" _Thanks. I got so caught up in work that I forgot. Just flip it and that's all."_

"Understood, Sakura-san."

" _... you alright kid? You sound pretty beat."_

Izuku blinked after hearing that, surprised that Sojiro was able to pick up on his distress at all. "I-I'm fine, Sakura-san. Thank you for asking."

" _... Alright, if you say so. Just try to get some rest. I know it's been a long day."_ With that, Sojiro hung up. Izuku stood there for a moment before sighing, setting the phone back into the receiver.

With nothing else to do, Izuku went outside and flipped the sign before heading to bed. He didn't bother to try and workout any more than he already had.

It was pointless to him, now.

* * *

Izuku lamely stomped down the stairs from his room. Normally the prospect of a new school would scare the daylights out of him, but so many emotions were swirling inside of him that he didn't have the energy to focus on any of them. He was sure he'd be a nervous wreck again once he arrived at school, but it felt like an afterthought at this point.

He looked himself over to see if he was wearing his new uniform properly as he reached the bottom of the steps. The uniform was a red-buttoned black blazer with Shujin's logo embroidered on a chest pocket over his left pectoral. He wore it over a white turtleneck with two black arrowheads pointing upward on the left side of the neck. The leggings were black plaid with burgundy bands that crisscrossed like the bars of a cage. They were held up with black suspenders that were hidden under the blazer. forgoed the black loafers for his favorite bright red sneakers with white treads. He doubted anyone would care for as long as he was wearing the rest of the uniform.

This wasn't the uniform he wanted to wear. But like most of the things in his life, his Quirklessness, his criminal record and his stupid, impossible dream, he didn't have much say in the matter.

"Hey. Heading out soon?" Izuku heard Sojiro, glancing to the side to see the shopkeep standing behind the counter with an apron on. Aside from the two of them, the shop was still empty. "You've got time, so take a seat. I'll feed you."

"Th-thank you," Izuku nodded, sitting at the bar. "Would you mind making me a cup of house blend as well? Black."

The request brought a smirk to Sojiro's face. "I have to say, didn't take you for a coffee drinker. You trying to impress me or something?"

"O-oh, nothing like that…" Izuku dismissed, waving his hands. "Back home, in the morning before I worked out, I usually had a cup of coffee. It steams up the body during a workout and makes you sweat a lot more. I think I'm just used to drinking it now."

"I see. Didn't realize you were such a hard fitness buff," Sojiro scoffed before nodding. "Alright, one house blend coming up. Here's your plate while you wait."

He placed a plate of curry and rice in front of Izuku, the green-haired teen blinking in surprise.

"Curry?"

"Like I said, it's the house special. Might seem a bit early for it, but give it a shot," Sojiro told him as he continued to prepare the coffee for him. Izuku hesitated, picking up his fork and gingerly holding it over his plate. It wasn't that he disliked curry, but it was a strange thing to have for breakfast.

Still, he didn't want to waste Sojiro's food again after missing his dinners twice now, so he dug in. Much to his surprise, the curry was far more flavorful than anything he was expecting. It was all kinds of sweet, savory, and spicy, but all of the flavors synchronized with each other rather than overwhelming one or the other. He remembered once that his mom told him she was trying to replicate a curry recipe belonging to a friend of hers. He guessed that it was this one.

"Th-this is… really good!" Izuku praised after swallowing his first bite. He then proceeded to shovel more into his mouth, now realizing how hungry he was after missing dinner for two nights in a row.

"Told you to try it when I made those plates before," Sojiro smirked proudly, placing a freshly brewed cup of coffee next to Izuku's plate. "Try it with the coffee. I think you'll like the combo."

Izuku did as he was told, quickly taking a sip from the house blend. Izuku was no coffee buff, having only drank what was convenient or cheap when he worked out before, but the blend was richer and more satisfying than anything he had at home. As Sojiro had said, the curry had somehow complimented the coffee in a way he didn't think was possible between such different items.

" _Over eighty people were injured yesterday after a train was overturned as it approached the train station."_ Izuku paused in his meal when he heard the television, glancing up to the side to see a newscaster speaking, _"It was originally suspected to be the work of an unknown Quirk, but it seems to just be another freak accident caused by the driver."_

"So that's why traffic was so packed yesterday," Sojiro hummed aloud. "I thought it was whoever All Might was carrying off, but I guess that was a different issue. Careful on your way to the train station. The schedule might be messed up as well."

"Y-yes, Sakura-san," Izuku nodded before finishing off his plate and downing the coffee. He jumped off of his stool and slung his bag over his shoulder. "Thank you for breakfast. I'll be going now."

"Sure. Just be careful not to get lost, alright?" Sojiro nodded before turning his attention to his counter. Izuku nodded in agreement, taking off for his first day of school. It was easy to find his way to the subway station, but it was fairly crowded once he got on the train car.

Remembering the route Sojiro had given him, he transferred at Shibuya to hop on the Ginza Line toward Aoyama-Itchome, which would drop him close to Shujin Academy. He would still have to do a bit of walking, but it was nothing out of the ordinary.

The moment he arrived at Aoyama-Itchome, Izuku savored his first breath of fresh air after escaping the crowd of people. Glancing around, he searched for a sign indicating the path he needed to go. Glancing at his phone, he saw that he had little time to dawdle, school started in fifteen minutes. Turning toward his goal, Izuku jogged up the stairs of the subway exit, surveying his new surroundings. Before he could find the right street to walk down, a drop of water hit his nose.

"Wh-what?" He muttered, glancing up at the sky. He had seen that it was rather cloudy before, but didn't realize it was going to be raining that day. He'd totally forgotten to grab an umbrella before leaving.

"Aw, man…" He muttered as he ran to search for any shelter he could find as the rain picked up. He spotted an awning by one of the stores, lifting his bag over his head and sprinting for cover. Once he got under an awning, Izuku turned around to look out at the falling rain, sighing as he watched it come down even harder than before.

"I can't catch a break at all…" He muttered to himself. As he tried to plan his next move, he noticed a hooded girl quickly rushing under the awning next to him. Izuku nervously shuffled away from her on instinct. He had little experience speaking to girls his age. Most of them were usually too busy laughing at him for wanting to be a Hero or gossiping about how he was Quirkless to actually strike up a conversation.

The girl seemed to take little notice of him, turning her gaze out to the the falling rain as well. She reached up and pulled back her hoodie, revealing flowing, platinum blonde hair that was tied up in twin-tails on each side of her head. She definitely looked Japanese, but Izuku could tell from her striking blue eyes that there was a bit of a foreigner in her. She wore a Shujin blazer similar to his, but under it she wore a white sports hoodie with a blue and red vertical stripe going down the center. Her leggings were bright red instead of Shujin's standard black with tan, high-heeled boots in place of the expected dark loafers.

Izuku spent little time studying her, his shyness immediately kicking in as he stiffened up as if a rod had been shoved into his spine..

 _It's a-a girl! A really p-pretty girl! O-okay, Izuku, keep it together! Just stand here and don't look dumb!_ He mentally cried out, gulping as sweat started to bead down his head.

The girl didn't seem to acknowledge him at first, sighing as she looked out at the rain. After a moment she spared a glance at Izuku, the jumpy teen meeting her gaze for a moment before forcing out a greeting.

"U-uh… hi…" He managed to say, his voice nearly inaudible.

The girl didn't seem to notice how obviously flustered he was to be around her, merely offering a nod and a small smile.

"Hey," She greeted back before turning forward again.

Izuku felt his face turn redder than the lightbulb under Leblanc's awning, his heart pounding in his ears as he quickly turned away to hide his embarrassment.

 _Oh my gosh! Sh-she actually talked to me! I can't believe it~!_

The two returned to silence afterwards. Izuku simply didn't have the courage to try and make any further conversation. He fumbled for his phone to distract himself, pulling it out to check his email. To his shock, the first app that appeared was the ghost app that he had deleted just the other day.

 _Again?_

Before he could move the app back into the trash bin, he heard a car slow to a stop in front of them, glancing up to see a man roll down the window and peer out at them.

He had a long, square jaw, and thick, bushy eyebrows. His dark hair was curly and unkempt, protruding to the sides while his bangs were parted at the front of his face. He was dressed entirely in a blue-and-white tracksuit.

"Hello there. Need a ride?" he asked with a curt smile. "You're gonna be late."

Izuku soon realized that the man's eyes were focused on the girl next to him rather than the both of them, glancing sideways at the blonde to see her put on a smile.

"Sure, that'd be great," The girl agreed, walking forward and getting into the man's passenger seat. Izuku watched her get in, his expression falling slightly when he saw the girl frown and cast her eyes down.

 _Wh-what's wrong with her? Why is she getting in if she doesn't want to?_

"Do you want a ride as well?" The man suddenly offered, Izuku switching his attention to the adult.

"N-no, thank you," Izuku shook his head. He wasn't sure why he rejected the offer, he chalked up to his own to his own nervousness. But something about this man didn't feel right.

"Suit yourself," The man shrugged before rolling up his window and driving off. Izuku watched them drive away, thoughts drifting back to the girl's frown. He didn't have long to think on it, as he heard someone else rushing past him. Izuku glanced to his left, watching as another teen slowed skidded against the ground and cursed. "Damn it! Screw that pervy teacher!"

Izuku didn't hear it, but a small tone sounded from his phone the moment the boy spoke.

This teen was a bit taller than Izuku, probably five-foot-nine. He had dyed his short, spiky hair blond. Similar to the girl from before, he wore his blazer over a yellow tee with a purple star design at the center instead of the expected turtleneck. Izuku found himself watching the newcomer curiously, though he regretted this when the punkish kid turned around, apparently noticing that Izuku had been watching him.

"Got somethin' to say?" the punk asked.

Izuku blinked as he finally realized he had been staring, now frantically waving his arms around. "N-n-no! I-I wasn't-"

"You plannin' on rattin' me out to Kamoshida?" The blond interrupted, his eyes narrowing at Izuku.

"Wh-what? Wh-who is Kamoshida?" Izuku was now genuinely confused. Not only did he have no idea who the blond was referring to, but he had no idea what he would say about him.

The blond seemed equally perplexed by Izuku's response, stuffing his hands in his pockets as his expression softened.

"Wait, how do you **not** know who Kamoshida is? You go to Shujin, right?" The blond inquired, his questions more curious than accusatory this time.

"W-well, yeah, b-but I just started today," Izuku explained, scratching the back of his head.

"Oh, I see. Kinda weird time to be transferring in though, don't you think?" The blond hummed, crossing his arms in thought. "You a first-year? You look a bit younger than me."

"Y-yeah, I'm first-year Izuku Midoriya. It's nice to meet you," The green-haired teen gulped, offering a polite bow as he introduced himself.

"You're a pretty jumpy guy, huh?" The blond chuckled at Izuku's expense but offered a kinder smile than before. "The name's Ryuji Sakamoto. I'm a second-year, so I guess that makes me your senior."

"A-ah, I see. Please take care of me," Izuku nodded, bowing to his senior again. While Ryuji might have looked like a punk, he seemed nice enough after getting past his rough exterior.

Izuku's thoughts drifted back to Ryuji's previous words. "B-but what were you saying about a… pervy teacher...?"

"Yeah, that's right. That asshole, Kamoshida," Ryuji cursed, brow furrowing in annoyance as he glanced down the street. "He's the jerk who drove off earlier. You'll get to know that bastard soon enough, I'm sure. He's considered the 'star' of the school just because he got the volleyball team to the nationals. Asshole probably thinks he's some sort of king of the castle…"

Izuku missed another ping coming from his phone.

"You seem to have a history," Izuku noted, his words causing Ryuji to fidget somewhat.

"You… could say that…" Ryuji muttered in response as he pulled out his phone. His eyes widened in shock, clicking his tongue. "Ah, damn it! We've been yappin' too long, we're gonna be late to school!"

"Huh?" Izuku blinked before looking at the time on his phone, ignoring the ghost app that was still spread across his screen. "A-ah! You're right, we should get going!"

"If only my leg wasn't messed up, I'd get us there in no time…" Ryuji cursed to himself, not really speaking to Izuku when he said this. "Come on, this way! I know a shortcut through the back alley. The rain eased up, so it shouldn't be too bad."

"R-right! Thank you, Sakamoto-senpai!" Izuku nodded, the two stepping forward to go. The moment they both moved, they were both hit with a sudden wave of vertigo, migraines slamming into their heads out of nowhere. "Wh-what was that...?"

"Damn it, my friggin' head…" Ryuji cursed in annoyance, rubbing his forehead to try and ease the pain. "I knew I shouldn't have come to school today, damn it… come on…" He grumbled, deciding to power through the temporary pain. Izuku didn't bother to question their sudden migraines, despite the fact that they happened simultaneously.

Instead, he elected to follow after Ryuji, who took off running toward a nearby alleyway. The two sprinted through the narrow back alleys, more focused on making it on time than anything that might have changed around them. Neither of them noticed how the water would briefly levitate in the air after they ran through a puddle.

"Around here!" Ryuji announced to Izuku, making a quick turn that Izuku copied. The two soon came out of the alley, both coming to a full stop as they gazed at the structure that lay before them. Much to their shock, they both saw something that didn't come close to resembling their school.

"What the hell...?"

In place of the school was none other than a stone castle straight out of the history books. On the front gate, a sign read:

 **Shujin Academy**

 **To be continued…**

 **EDIT: Thanks goes to reppuzan for taking the time to go back on my previous chapters and clean them up nicely!**

 **So yeah, I'm still writing this story obviously :P I would have liked to have written this chapter sooner considering the newness of the story, but I soon went on vacation shortly after writing the latest chapter of another one of my stories, so I didn't have the time to finish until I got back.**

 **The story has now kicked off, and we're preparing to get into the real nitty gritty goodness. Thank you everyone for the support and reception I received on the first chapter, I appreciate it! The Infamous Man, writer of A Different Kind of Truth (a JoJo/Persona 4 Xover) was especially helpful in helping me work out some kinks and ideas for the future of this story, and I was quite happy that he was willing to give them. Speaking of, check out his crossover if you haven't yet, it's pretty amazing :)**

 **Anyways, back on track, I hope you all liked the chapter! I know I'm setting up a big cliffhanger, but don't worry, we'll be getting deeper in very soon! Please leave a review, a favorite and a follow if it's not too much trouble. Thank you!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I own neither My Hero Academia or Persona 5**

Chapter 3

To say that Izuku was confused would be an understatement. Now, he wasn't freaking out like he normally would, but only because there was nothing inherently threatening in front of him. Even so, this strange scenery that had replaced the school building he saw only the day before caused Izuku to rub his eyes, thinking that perhaps he was only seeing things.

When nothing changed, he couldn't help but look around. Maybe they ran down the wrong alleyway. The problem with that theory was that the rest of the surrounding architecture was identical to what he had seen yesterday. The sign that sat at the front of the stone wall was also a strange indicator that they were supposedly at the right place.

"D-did the drama club set this shit up or somethin'...?" Ryuji muttered next to him, Izuku throwing a sideways glance back at his upperclassman.

"Th-there's no way though, is there? I was here yesterday and it looked like a normal school building…" Izuku muttered, his eyes scanning the castle for clues. "You would need an amazingly fast construction Quirk for this to be possible… even then, considering how much the school would have to pay for this change in aesthetics and how it would most likely have to inform the parents first before even thinking of making such a drastic change… Not to mention this is meant to be a normal high school in the first place…"

"Tr-true, I guess…" Ryuji mumbled, feeling overwhelmed by Izuku's train of thought. "But still… the sign says it's our school. Should we just go in and see what's up?"

Izuku gulped as he looked at the foreboding structure before them.

"I suppose we don't have much choice…" Izuku admitted. If they were going to understand what was going on, they couldn't remain outside and keep guessing.

"R-right… guess we'll go in then…" Ryuji muttered before glancing at Izuku. "Y-you first…"

"M-me?!" Izuku blanched, looking at his senior in disbelief.

"O-okay, yeah, maybe that's a bit much to ask my junior…" Ryuji sighed, grabbing his bag straps and tightening his hold on them. "J-just stick close behind me, at least… This place is giving me the creeps right now…."

With that, the two proceeded through the school gates, which were now made of paved sandstone bricks instead of concrete. Izuku wished he could have written this off as the work of the drama club, but the castle looming over them was far too real to be cardboard. The entrance alone was far too realistic for a school project. There was even a wooden drawbridge and a raised steel gate!

Once the two walked through the main entrance, they were greeted by a grand hall far more opulent than anything Izuku had seen the day before.

 _This makes no sense. Even if it was somehow plausible that they changed the exterior of the building, the interior couldn't have been renovated so quickly…_

"Okay, so that didn't clear anything up…" Ryuji huffed out, most likely coming to the same conclusion as Izuku."Seriously, there's no way this can be the school, right?"

"I-it's not possible… I think we should leave…" Izuku said cautiously, gazing around the hall. It was definitely far too large to be the same building he had visited yesterday. There's no way they could have rolled out rows and rows of red carpet, lit rows of candle stands, and added a grand staircase in the span of single day. Nothing about this place was logical. Not if it was truly in the same place that Shujin Academy once sat. Even if it weren't, Izuku most likely would have heard of such an extravagant building in the city.

Ryuji seemed to consider this idea, taking a moment to pull his phone out of his pocket and try and run a web search on it. "W-what the hell?! No service?! Damn it!" the faux blond cursed, gazing around the hall again. "But the sign said Shujin Academy…"

"Halt!" A new, distorted voice caused both Izuku and Ryuji to yelp in surprise, the two glancing to their left to the source. The green-haired teen could only widen his eyes as he saw the approaching mass. It was a large man in armor several sizes too large for him if the legs were any indication. Instead of wearing the helmet's visor down, he wore a blue expressionless masquerade mask.

The man also carried a large shield that Izuku could hide his entire body behind in one hand and a longsword in the other. The armored man, whoever he was, approached with obvious aggression. Izuku felt himself taking a step back in fear, a bit of sweat rolling down his brow.

"What the hell, man. You scared me there for a sec…" Ryuji breathed out, relaxing for a moment. "That's a helluva costume, though. You make that? Or-wait, is that part of your Quirk, maybe?"

The armored man stopped several meters away from the two of them, his eyes hidden behind the mask and only allowing a faint red light to shine through the sockets. Ryuji shifted uncomfortably, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Well, come on, man! Don't just stand there and say nothin-" The faux blond felt a hand tug at the sleeve of his blazer, glancing back to see Izuku biting his bottom lip.

"S-Sakamoto-senpai… I think we should leave…" Izuku muttered out, pulling a bit harder with his whole body to try and drag Ryuji away.

"Wh-whoa, slow down man, I-" Ryuji started before glancing back at the armored man from before. Much to his shock, someone in an identical suit of armor appeared. In fact, the newcomer was practically identical to the first armored man. "Wh-what the hell...?"

"Sakamoto-senpai! We should go!" Izuku ushered him again. While slightly thrown off by the other knight's appearance, Ryuji nodded and went along with his junior's idea.

"G-got it! Let's go!" The faux blond agreed, spinning on his heel to run for it. Izuku wasn't far behind, the two soon breaking into a sprint for the exit. But they skidded to a stop as several more armored men appeared, all much larger than either of the teens. "Wh-what the hell?! How many of them are there?!"

"W-we'll have to find another way-" Izuku tried to tell him, only for a shield to ram right into his back.

"H-hey! Midoriya!" Ryuji gasped in shock, turning to see a knight was standing right behind the smaller teen. "Sh-shit, I-I've got at least some stored up in my left knee…" bending his left knee, electricity started to crackle around him. In a sudden burst of energy, Ryuji was launched forward straight into the knight, ramming it with his shoulder.

The knight was sent tumbling backward from the momentum of Ryuji's charge. But the teenager's shoulder began to ache from driving his shoulder right into a full suit of armor. Sadly, it wasn't his shoulder that hurt the most though, his right knee buckling just as he was about to get to his feet.

"D-damn it… we've gotta move…" He glanced back at Izuku, only to see the green-haired teen was completely unconscious. Ryuji desperately reached forth to grab under his arms and carry him. "I-I've got just enough for one more burst… one more burst and-"

Another knight came out of nowhere, knocking Ryuji face first onto the ground. "Ack! D-damn it!" the faux blond cursed, gnashing his teeth as he glared back at the knight who stopped him. "Y-you're gonna break something…"

"Seize them!" Another one of the knights ordered. The last thing Ryuji saw was the knights crowding around them as one of them brought a shield down on his head.

* * *

Izuku had to peel his eyelids open as he finally woke up, still dazed from being beaten unconscious. It took him a moment to collect his thoughts, only remembering that he and Ryuji had started to run away from the strangely armored men.

"Hey, you're up." Izuku quickly sat up, immediately regretting it as a sudden case of vertigo kicked made his head spin. "Careful, man. You took a pretty hard hit on the head."

"D-did I...?" Izuku muttered, holding the side of his head for a moment longer before opening his eyes again. Ryuji was sitting a barrel nearby. The moment Izuku had regained his bearings, he took in the room around him: an old-fashioned dungeon cell. The wall and ceiling were all paved with stone bricks with a bloody red sheen. Chains used for prisoners hung from the walls and lied strewn across the floor. A couple of barrels like the one his senior sat on lay close by. Izuku's new surroundings reminded him of the room from his previous dream, though it didn't feel the same as his cell from that "Velvet Room".

"You okay, man?" asked Ryuji.

"Y-yeah, not too bad now… How about you?" Izuku muttered, rubbing a bump that had formed on the back of his head. He probably had a concussion.

"Not too bad, I think. My shoulder's pretty sore though…" Ryuji admitted with a sigh, rubbing his muscles to relieve some of the pain. Getting up and looking around the cell, the faux blond couldn't stop a curse from escaping his mouth. "Looks like this ain't a dream, after all…" losing patience rather quickly, Ryuji rushed up to the bars and started to bang on them. "Hey! I know someone's out there! Get over here and let us out, damn it!"

"S-Sakamoto-senpai, you should be careful!" Izuku pushed himself off the bench he was lying on and stood up. "We don't know where we are or who has us! We have to be careful not to anger them!"

"Tch, son of a bitch!" Ryuji snapped, hitting the bars one last time and causing Midoriya to flinch again. "Where the hell are we?! You really think someone's just up and kidnapped us?! And if so, why in a friggin' castle?!"

"I-I don't know! I don't know anymore than-" Before Izuku could finish, a far-off scream caused the two to pause. They both ran up to the cell bars, gripping it as they tried to listen in. Faint moans of agony could be heard, quieter than the previous scream.

"S-someone else is here… and they're being tortured…" Izuku muttered, his face going pale at the thought.

"N-n-no way… no way man, no way…" Ryuji began to panic, gripping the bars hard enough to turn his knuckles white. He spun around and began desperately searching for anything he could use. "Th-there's gotta be some way outta this damn cell!"

"M-maybe we could tr-try to find a weakness in the wall" Izuku suggested, turning his attention back to the cell as well. As much as he wanted to help whoever might be suffering, he had to focus on getting out as well. Ryuji was soon running his hands along one of the walls. Izuku jumped to the opposite end, hoping to find one there as well.

"I-I hope this might not be too much to ask, but… what's your Quirk?" Izuku asked, hoping the faux blond might be able to give them an escape route.

"My Quirk?" Ryuji repeated before realizing the reason behind it. "O-oh. Well, you see, I can store up energy in my knee caps… it converts it into electricity or somethin' that pretty much makes me run wicked fast. I can run twice as fast with moderate energy use, or move super fast in short bursts…"

"I-I see… that's a rather strong Quirk, actually…" Izuku murmured in surprise as he continued to search for loose bricks or faults in the foundation. Ryuji might be able to break them out after all, but he doubted that it would work on the steel bars. It would probably be better used against a weakened part of the wall.

"… I have to run to store up energy though, and after… after some recent shit, I can only store energy in one knee." Ryuji's voice seemed to weaken as he continued. Izuku stopped his search for a moment to glance back at him, his senior now looking even more crestfallen than before. "I uh… I can barely use it anymore… when I do, I bust up my right leg from the exertion. It's almost useless to me, now…."

Izuku now realized that Ryuji probably wasn't going to bust them out with his Quirk after all. The look on his cellmate's face was disheartening. With a weak, forced chuckle, the green-haired teen rubbed the back of his head. "H-hey… it's better than being Quirkless, you know?"

Ryuji turned to Izuku in confusion. "Quirkless? What do you mean by…" His eyes widened as the realization dawned of him. . "Wait… you mean you don't…" Izuku gave a weak nod, forcing a sad smile to show Ryuji that he understood his pain.

Before the two could continue, they heard a parade of clanking metal approaching them. The two teenagers quickly perked up and turned to the cell doors to see the knights that had attacked them before gathering around the cell.

"H-hey! Hurry up and let us out!" Ryuji snapped again, rushing up to the bars and pounding on them.

"Quiet, prisoner, and rejoice that your punishment has been decided so quickly." The knight at the front spoke, taking a step closer toward the cage. "You have both been judged with unlawful entry of the palace. A crime punishable by death."

"Wh-what?! What the hell are you talkin' about?" Ryuji spat in frustration, the mention of a death penalty throwing him into an, understandably, panicked moment.

"Th-this makes no sense at all! We don't even know where we are!" Midoriya spoke up this time.

"No one's allowed to do as they please in **my** castle." Izuku and Ryuji paused as they watched the knight's step aside to make way for a strangely dressed man was approaching the cage. Izuku instantly recognized him as the man in the car from this morning, though his attire had changed drastically. Instead of the tracksuit from before, he wore a velvety red cape littered with pink hearts that was lined with white fur around the edges. A small, spiked crown made of gold sat atop his head. Aside from this, he was virtually naked, only wearing brown loafers and pink underwear to maintain some semblance of modesty.

"W-wait a sec! Kamoshida?!" blurted Ryuji. .

"Th-the teacher you mentioned before...?" Izuku muttered as he struggled to wrap his head around this. Even the worst Hero Costumes didn't look this bad.

"To think, rather than some petty thief, it would be Sakamoto who decided to break into my beloved castle," Kamoshida scoffed, smirking smugly at the faux blond. "What, did you come here seeking revenge?"

"The hell is going on, Kamoshida?! The hell are you wearing?! And where the hell are we?!" Ryuji snapped indignantly, his confusion only growing with the arrival of the sports instructor.

"I told you before, you slow-witted child. You are in **my** castle. But I'm sure you already knew that," Kamoshida huffed before glancing at Izuku. "I have to say, I would have figured you to bring someone about as brutish as you are if you were looking for revenge. Maybe you were planning on using him as bait instead?"

"I have no idea what hell you're talking about, asshole!" Ryuji growled again, shaking the bars as he spoke.

"Is that how you speak to a king?" Kamoshida snapped back to Ryuji, a heated glare now sent his way. "Perhaps you need to be informed exactly what position you're in, just like last time. Not only are you both guilty of trespassing in my castle, but you are now guilty of insulting the king!" An evil smile spread across his lips, one that sent shivers down Izuku's spine. "Both are crimes punishable by **death**."

Ryuji and Izuku both paled, backing away from the cell doors. "Y-you're shitting me…" Ryuji muttered, thinking that the teacher was only trying to scare him.

"It's time for an execution! Grab the blond one!" Kamoshida ordered. The knights stood at attention at his command. The one closest to the cell pulled out a pair of keys from god-knows-where, opening the cell and walking in with a line of knights behind him. Izuku was knocked against the wall as they entered, their focus going mainly to Ryuji as they started to surround him.

"Sakamoto-senpai!" Izuku cried out in fear, eyes darting around for options that might be available to him. He had to figure a way out of here, a way to get both of them to safety.

 _I-I have to think up something quick! This guy is serious about killing us! If I don't act quick, then Sakamoto-senpai will be-_

"To hell with this shit!" Electricity crackled around Ryuji's left knee, and in a burst of speed, he knocked down two of the knights blocking the entrance. "Ack!" he cried out in pain, his knee acting up again as he stopped before he could try anything else. "D-damn it, I already messed it up some earlier…" He cursed, glancing to the side to see a knight lurking over him.

"G-go, damn it! Go and-gah!" the closest remaining knight to Ryuji struck him in the side with the butt of its sword, the wind instantly leaving Ryuji.

"Hah! Looks like your little burst of energy was for nothing, Sakamoto," Kamoshida taunted, grinning darkly down at the blond. "Your friend here seems like a real coward. I'm surprised that he didn't try and-"

The knight that had struck Ryuji suddenly fell forward. In the moment that Ryuji had been struck, none had noticed that Izuku had already moved. He hadn't given it any thought at all; and if anyone were to ask him right now, Izuku would have told them that his body had moved on its own.

The green-haired teen had hoisted one of the barrels over his head and smashed it into the back of the knight that had struck Ryuji. Tears threatened at the edge of Izuku's eyes, but he gritted his teeth, spinning around and using his momentum to catch the final knight in the cell off guard and pinning it against the far wall, tripping it over the benches

"H-hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Ryuji cried out in shock, eyes wide as he watched the skittish kid's attempts to save him.

"G-go, Sakamoto-senpai! Use what speed you have left," Izuku cried out, eyes tightly clenched in fear. "Hurry, before it's too late!"

"M-Midoriya…" Ryuji muttered in complete awe. He never would have expected that the fidgety junior would have come back for him.

"Y-you idiot! I'm s'posed to be the one saving you!" In reality, he was actually quite touched by Izuku's sudden burst of bravery.

Ryuji pushed himself off the ground and got to his feet, hoping he could make an opening for Izuku to escape with him. That was until he felt something slimy wrap around his neck and choke him. With surprising force, Ryuji was hurled to the farthest wall, knocking the wind out of him once again.

"S-Sakamoto-senpai!" Izuku cried out in fear, but was quickly silenced as the knight he had pinned slammed the grip of it's sword into his back, painfully knocking him flat on the ground.

It was Kamoshida who had caught him off guard, the perverted teacher cackling as he withdrew his elongated tongue. "Well, that sure was a surprise. Who woulda thought that the random brat would have some guts. You shouldn't have bothered making friends with Sakamoto, though. He's only thinks about his own selfish desires rather than the needs of those around him."

Izuku could barely muster up the strength to get off the ground, but the pain he felt did nothing to stop him.

"Y-you're wrong…." he managed to say, his eyes ablaze with determination as they drifted back towards Kamoshida. "H-he went out of his way… to try and save me, even though we just met… even though he knew he might die…."

"M-Midoriya…" Ryuji couldn't believe what he was hearing from his junior.

But Ryuji's awe was cut short as Kamoshida fumed at Izuku's continued defiance. What was this brat thinking? Why didn't he know his place?

"Trash like you is what inspires drabble to stand up against my authority in the first place. I've changed my mind. Guards! Grab the green-haired one first! If he's so ready to give up his life for Sakamoto, then let him be first."

"Y-you bastard!" Ryuji cried out in anger, only for one of the knights that had regained its balance to pin him against the wall with its shield. Izuku felt a metal boot kick him in the side, spit leaving his mouth as he tumbled across the ground. The knight he had previously pinned then grabbed him by the collar and threw him against the wall littered with chains.

"You can just add it to the list of things you screwed someone else out of, Sakamoto!" Kamoshida cackled darkly, a devilish grin spreading across his face as he turned back to Izuku. The green-haired teen's breathing was shallow and laborious. Sweat poured down his face as two knights pinned him against the wall. He could only watch helplessly as a third advanced with it sword aimed at his heart.

 _I-I can't escape! Th-there's nowhere for me to go or run to!_ Izuku thought in panic, tears starting to trail down his cheeks as fear overtook him.

 _I-I'm gonna die here… why? Why has the world been so cruel?!_

" _Truly, this is an unjust game... Your chances of victory are almost none._ "

Izuku's sobs stopped as he heard a young, feminine voice whisper to him. He glanced up as a faint blue light hovered overhead. It was a butterfly, its silvery-blue wings glittering as it fluttered by.

" _But if my voice is reaching you, then perhaps your fate may be changed._ "

 _Wh-what is that? What was-_

 _ **Come on, kid. You gon' give up that easily?**_ A new voice began to echo in his head. Unlike the previous one, this one was distinctly deep and masculine, almost reminding Izuku of All Might. Yet, some part of it managed to remind him of his own.

 _Wh-what?_

 _ **You proved yer resolve when you jumped to save the blond. Even now, I can feel that you never regretted yer choice in savin' that woman, either. Actin' and doin' right without thinkin'... that's what it means to be a Hero, right?**_

 _ **And yet, society's tellin' you that you're a criminal. A piece of scum for havin' the guts to do right by yer fellow man… what do you think?**_

 _ **Do you really want to be a Hero? Or was that all just some act?**_

 _ **Would you take back what you did?**_

 _ **Would you?!**_

 **(My Hero Academia OST: You Say Run)**

The voice boomed in Izuku's head, causing him to grit his teeth and tears of frustration rather than fear began rolling down his face.

 _Would I take back what I did?_

Images of that woman struggling against the man filtered through his head, and in an instant, Izuku knew his answer, eyes snapping open with a heavy glare.

 _No! S-she called for help! There was no way I would ever ignore that! Not then, and not_ _ **now!**_

The voice in his mind grew louder than a howitzer cannon as it burst into hearty laughter. Izuku soon felt as though someone were trying to split his head in half with a rusted axe. He released a cry of agony as he doubled over and thrashed against his restraints, sweat cascading down his forehead in buckets. The pain only intensified with time. It wasn't long until it felt like his head was going to explode from the pressure building within it.

 _ **Well said, my boy! We are in agreement! Now then, let's seal our contract with a vow! I am thou… thou art I… I shall grant you the power to enact justice on this world!**_

"Hah! Has the peasant gone mad from fear?" Kamoshida taunted with a smirk merely shaking his head at Izuku's strange display. "Don't worry, peasant. It will all be over soon. Execute him!" The knight at the front complied, raising its blade to strike. Izuku's body then went lax, his eyes falling shut as the pain subsided as quickly as it came.

 _ **Never regret! Never surrender! Never doubt! If society chains you down for being a Hero… then rip those chains off and save them, whether they want you to or not!**_

"I understand… thank you…" Izuku murmured.

Before the knight's blade could reach the prisoner's neck, a gale of wind erupted around Izuku as his eyes snapped open, causing both the guards and Kamoshida to flinch and take a step back. The two that were holding Izuku against the wall recoiled in confusion, releasing their iron grips on him.

When the wind subsided, Kamoshida gazed back up at the green-haired teen, who now wore a strange mask on his face. It was bone white except for the black lines that extended from the eye holes and covered the top half of Izuku's face. Two horn-like pieces protruded from opposite corners of the mask's upper rim and curved towards each other slightly. .

Reaching up to his face, the Izuku touched the mask curiously.

 _What is this...?_

 _ **Pull it off.**_

Izuku didn't hesitate or bother question the strange order, immediately gripping the edges of the mask and tugging at them as hard as he could. He began to scream once more as the mask seemed to pull at the skin of his face, ripping it away in pieces as he tugged. But Izuku could not and would not stop until he finally tore the mask from his brow with a final howl of pain.

With bated breath, Izuku let the blood drip down his face, glaring furiously as he looked up at Kamoshida. Without another motion or word, Izuku flashed the darkest grin he'd ever given in his life. Suddenly the blood that covered the top of his head evaporated into blue flame, the fire expanding into a surging torrent that enveloped his body as dark chains began to rise into the air all around him.

"Wh-What?!" Kamoshida cried out in shock.

Ryuji could only stare wide eyed from the wall, jaw slackening as he watched the scene unfold before him. His junior's eyes, once a forest green, had turned the color of molten gold as they peered out through the flames. The fire was then was then converted into blinding light, forcing everyone present to shield their eyes.

A silhouette began to rise up from Izuku's body, standing above him like some sort of guardian angel. Its features slowly came into view as the light faded away, revealing a human-like figure with a solid white body that looked as though it was sculpted from porcelain. It wore a leathery kilt dyed red with matching thigh-high combat boots. Draped on its back was a flowing red cape that seemed to billow in the wind produced by its arrival. Its body was muscular, though more defined and toned rather than hulking and bulbous, with six-pack abs carved deeply into its torso.

Its hairstyle was unkempt, much like Izuku's, but instead of a green rat's nest its hair was composed of nothing but crimson flames. Its eyes lacked pupils and irises and its expression was blank, save for a solid smirk at the edge of its mouth. A scimitar was fastened against its hip. Around its neck hung two medals, one in the shape of a diamond crest, and the other in the shape of All Might's head.

"What… the… hell..?" Ryuji muttered out in pure confusion. He looked down at Izuku, only to see that his junior had also transformed. The black blazer and plaid trousers indicative of Shujin had vanished. In their place was a full-body black jumpsuit, red detailing running down the sides of the torso and legs and forming boxes on either side of its midsection. Black elbow and knee pads protected his joints while matching red gloves covered his hands.

Over the jumpsuit, Izuku wore a dark leather trench coat that reached down to his thighs. On his neck hung a steel mouthguard of sorts with a wide, toothy smile etched into the metal..

Gone was the skittish, jumpy teen that Ryuji saw only moments before. Now there stood Izuku brimming with confidence and a smile that would give the Number One Hero a run for his money.

The being above Izuku flexed its muscles and threw heavy forearm strikes at the two knights surrounding Izuku, easily knocking them on the ground before launching a punch at the guard who would be his executioner, sending it careening into the wall of the cell.

" _ **From the sea of your soul, I come forth!"**_ The figure above Izuku boomed, the green-haired teen glancing up at the figure in a bit of wonder and amazement of his own. _**"I am the rebel Hero of your soul, your power to save others in this foreign land! I am Carter!"**_

With a flourish of his cape, the white light finally faded completely, allowing those around to get a clearer view of the being above Izuku. _**"If you ask, I will give you the power to break forth and save yourself from this mess!"**_

"Please give me the power I need! Carter!" Izuku accepted with great determination, eyes shining with a resolve he'd never felt before. With another round of booming laughter, Carter nodded in acceptance.

" _ **Then consider it done, kid! Let's show 'em that you can be a Hero!"**_

"I-I ain't ever seen a Quirk like that…" Ryuji sputter out in shock and awe.

"Wh-what the hell is all this?!" Kamoshida snapped in confusion and fear, taking a step back glaring at Izuku furiously. "Who the hell are you?!" He gazed around at his knights to see that they were still capable of moving. The "king" clicked his tongue in frustration.

"G-get up! Get up right now and kill him!"

The masks on two of the knight's helmets burst off, a black ooze pouring out of the opening and dripping to the ground before taking the form of spectres that floated above the ground. Their heads contorted themselves until they looked much like jack-o-lanterns with witch hats sitting on top, a single hand sticking out and holding a glass lantern.

" _ **Call out my powers, boy! Release that energy you got stored up!"**_ Carter instructed Izuku, the green-haired teen turning to the newly formed enemies with a fierce glare. Izuku didn't exactly understand at first, but the word rolled off the tongue when he spoke before he put any thought into it.

"Kouha!" A ball of light formed in Carter's hand, the powerful being pitching it forth like a baseball and hitting one of the pumpkin-headed enemies dead-on. The jack-o-lantern seemed to take massive damage, crying out in pain and sailing into the cell door. The other one seemed undeterred, flying forward and hoping to strike Izuku with it's own head.

" _ **Now, kid. Swing your staff and show it what for!"**_ Carter advised once more. This one gave Izuku pause, unsure what the being above him referred to.

"My staff...?" Izuku muttered before looking down at his hand. True to Carter's word, the Quirkless hero was grasping a wooden staff in one hand. He wasn't sure where it came from or why he was holding it, but he had little time to dwell on it. He quickly hoisted it up, blocking the attack from the monster. Although he skidded back a meter, Izuku held strong.

Moving on instinct, Izuku spun the staff in hand and retaliated with two swift strikes on either side of the monster's head before spinning around to nail it with a rolling smash, knocking the monster onto the ground. Izuku had taken some combat classes when he was training for the U.A. Entrance Exam, but he had only learned the basics. His body seemed to know what it wanted to do and fought as if it had done so for years.

" _ **Congrats, kid! This power is now yours to use! Finish 'em off as you want!"**_ Carter boomed again, pointing at the two staggered monsters. If they had been human, Izuku would have hesitated to destroy them. But seeing that these monsters were unnatural and actively trying to kill him, he felt no such restraint.

"Carter! Unleash your light!" White light filled both of Carter's palms, the figure hurling its energy forth with a double swing and destroying the pumpkin headed monsters in a brilliant explosion, their bodies dissipating into thin air. With a deep sigh of relief, Izuku felt some of the tension leave his shoulders before he turned to Kamoshida with a heated gaze, eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Holy shit, man…" Ryuji finally found his voice, clamberlingto his feet as he stared at Izuku with wide eyes. "What the hell was all that?"

Izuku blinked for a moment as the adrenaline rush faded, his usual demeanor returning to him. "I-I actually don-"

"You little brat…" Kamoshida growled, approaching Izuku carefully. The green-haired teen narrowed his eyes and spun the staff in his hands, preparing to strike out at the supposed king. Before he could do that though, Ryuji acted first, tackling the half-naked teacher with his shoulder.

"You like that, asshole?!" Ryuji laughed with a bit of satisfaction. Izuku saw keys drop from the teacher after being hit, using his staff to bounce them up in the air and grab them.

"Sakamoto-senpai! Let's get out of here!" Izuku ushered, the blond quickly nodding in agreement. The two dashed out of the cell, slamming the door shut behind them. Izuku tossed Ryuji the keys, who immediately locked the door.

"You damn brats! You'll pay for this!" Kamoshida growled as he beat his fists against the bars. Izuku and Ryuji only regarded him for a moment longer before breathing another sigh of relief, the two leaning forward on their knees. They were finally out of immediate danger, thanks to Izuku.

"Man, all of this shit is so damn nuts…" Ryuji muttered, glancing at his junior. In a flash of blue flame, Izuku's costume dissipated and returned to his school clothes. "Wh-what the hell?! What was all that?!"

"I-I don't really know…" Izuku replied, standing up straight and looking at his hands. "B-but I wanted to fight back… and all of that suddenly happened…"

Ryuji bit his bottom lip, wanting to ask more questions that he likely wouldn't get an answer to.

"You bastards! You'll never escape!" Kamoshida barked again, causing them to jump in surprise.

"God, this asshole still won't shut up?!" Ryuji snapped in annoyance before looking at Izuku. "Let's just get the hell out of here. You lead the way."

"G-got it. Stay close, so we don't get separated." Izuku nodded in agreement, running down the cell block. Ryuji only took a moment to toss the keys away. With a moment to breathe, Izuku scanned the dungeon: it really was something out of a movie set. Several other cells lined the path. A small river of water ran through the center of the room, leading to a platform area similar to what they were already standing on.

Ahead of them, their path was blocked by a great wall of iron bars, the door on their side of the moat tightly shut. Izuku easily spotted the open door on the opposite side, waving for Ryuji to follow. "Sakamoto-senpai! This way! We can jump across!"

"Got it!" Ryuji nodded, quickly following after Izuku. The moment Izuku started to run though, he realized that he was almost completely drained of energy. He grit his teeth in pain, pushing through the exhaustion.

 _We need to get out of here, first… can't let the exhaustion bother me…_ Izuku told himself. Once they approached the steel blockade, Izuku made a quick turn to a broken bridge. It still had a bit of the bridge left, enough for anyone to jump across. Izuku took a running jump over, landing safely on the other side but stumbling forward. His body clearly didn't appreciate the sudden exertion.

"H-hey! Careful, man!" Ryuji called out as he landed on the other side and helped to catch Izuku before he could fall flat on his face.

The green-haired teen panted for air, the adrenaline from the previous fight had faded completely. "S-sorry, Sakamoto-senpai… I'm pretty tired after all that…" He forced himself to stand upright and took deep breaths. "But don't worry, I can keep going. I'll make sure we get out of here safe."

Ryuji didn't answer immediately, but his eyes hid little of his admiration. "Dude, you're friggin' amazing. You saved us back there and everything and you're still going even though you're dead tired. I know, I can tell since I ran track" He pointed out before giving a kind smile. "You look like a real Hero!"

Izuku stopped, opening his mouth as if to say something before feeling a river of tears explode from his eyes, which immediately made Ryuji recoil. "Y-y-you really think so..?" before he could get ahead of himself, Izuku quickly shook his head, returning his focus to the situation at hand. "S-sorry, got carried away with my emotions… we should get going before more guards arrive."

Ryuji scratched the back of his head, releasing a strained chuckle. "I… really can't make heads or tails of your personality…" He reached forward and snatched Izuku's bag off his shoulder. "I'll carry this for you since you're pretty worn out as is. We're gonna need ya if we're gonna break out."

"R-right, thank you for that." Izuku nodded, immediately feeling the relief as he turned back to their path and leading them forward. "This way!"

They jogged down the path, Izuku being careful to keep his stamina in check and Ryuji sticking close enough in case he needed to keep his junior from falling. They entered another corridor of the dungeon similar to the one they were previously in, but the gated exits were both closed as far as they could tell.

"Damn it! What now?!" Ryuji growled, eyes darting around for an exit somewhere. Izuku did the same, his eyes soon falling on an open cell right next to the gated wall. On the floor, there was a noticeable hole on the edge, one that a person could slip through.

"Through here!" Izuku ran inside the cell and dropped on all fours. As he expected, there was a tunnel inside the hole, one that went past the exit. "We can crawl through this hole."

"Got it! Careful as you go." Ryuji advised, waiting for Izuku to go through before soon following after him. The tunnel wasn't a long one, the two coming out moments later in another cell that thankfully the door was open to. "Alright, let's go!"

"Yeah!" Izuku nodded, rushing out and gazing around the dungeon again. This room was a bit different, as over the stream there was actually a full-length drawbridge.

"What the hell? What is this place, man?" Ryuji huffed, but didn't bother standing around questioning it further. The two quickly jogged across the bridge, having seen an exit at the front left corner of the room. As they steadily approached the exit, they both heard movement from their right across the way. "Get down!" Ryuji whisper shouted, the two diving behind a stack of barrels that was just out of sight. Peering their heads out ever so slightly, they could see several knights on the other side marching along the path, thankfully not crossing the bridge and entering the next area. "They're lookin' for us, huh?"

"W-we can't waste time here, Sakamoto-senpai… we should get going," Izuku whispered back, touching his shoulder and motioning his head to the exit path. With a nod, Ryuji and Izuku stood up and took off down the path that soon led to a winding staircase.

"I-it's going up… think this'll lead us outta here?" Ryuji asked aloud as they started to jog up the stairs. As if his previous exhaustion wasn't enough, Izuku could feel his lungs tightening the higher they climbed. He didn't answer Ryuji's question either, both because he was winded and also because he didn't want to get his hopes up. Considering the size of the castle they've seen already, he doubted this would be a quick escape.

Once they reached the top the two escapees came across a wooden door, Ryuji immediately pushing it open in hope that his previous suggestion was right. Much to Izuku's chagrin, it was his own hypothesis that proved to be true. There was still a bit of dungeon left before the two could reach the outside.

"Oh, you've gotta be shittin' me! There's more?!" Ryuji cursed in annoyance, looking around to find that they were in a fairly similar area from before. "Just what the hell is up with this place?!"

"I-It's no use trying to figure out what's going on, Sakamoto-senpai. Even if we tried looking around, I doubt we'd get any real answers." Izuku admitted, taking several steps forward along the stone path. "Come on, let's keep moving before they catch up."

"G-got it. You're probably right." Ryuji accepted, following after the shorter teen. They continued along the path until they came upon another part of the dungeon, but this time something noticeable hung from the middle of the room. "Holy shit…"

"Th-those are…" Izuku muttered, eyes widening in horror. Several students were being held in cages hanging from the ceiling over the river, their heads covered in iron masks. The green-haired teen bit his lip, glancing at Ryuji for a moment before stepping forward.

"H-hey! What do you think you're doing?!" Ryuji quickly grabbed Izuku, pulling him back from the edge of the river.

"S-somebody has to help them! We have to let them out, somehow!" Izuku argued, glancing up at Ryuji in desperation. "I-I have enough energy! Maybe if I reach out with Carter, I can-"

"Dude, you're drained as is! Plus it'll be dangerous tryin' to pull all those people in!" Ryuji snapped, shaking his head. "You've gotta let 'em stay. If they were on the way, maybe, but they'll take too long to get out and we don't know what kinda condition they're in."

Izuku bit his lip, knowing everything that Ryuji was saying was right. Had he thought about it for a moment, he would have easily come to the same conclusion. But as usual, he almost acted without thinking to try and save them. "Y-yeah… but we have to do something for them…"

"Once we get outta here, we'll get a hold of the cops or some Heroes, maybe. They can break into a shitty place like this easily and save everyone." Ryuji reassured. It was the logical decision. Their own safety was the priority, after all. But here, after seeing these bizarre monsters and a strange castle where Shujin Academy should be, what _was_ logical anymore?

Izuku shook his head to clear his mind as he reluctantly agreed,. "Okay… there's a drawbridge ahead. Let's go and see if we can get it to lower."

"You got it," Ryuji replied as the two were finally able to move on. Izuku spared a glance back at the suspended prisoners, but hardened his resolve. Right now, those prisoners weren't in immediate danger. He had to get someone who could save them, instead.

"The hell?! There's no switch on this damn thing!" Ryuji cursed, Izuku turning his attention back to his senior. "How the hell are we gonna get across?!"

"Wait a sec, senpai…" Izuku called out, jogging up to the bridge now. Something that stuck out was a stone bust in the shape of Kamoshida, its eyes shining yellow with an ugly grin. The chain leading to the drawbridge was sticking out from the top of it. "Guessing from the kind of personality that man has, I would say the switch would be somewhere on here…"

Izuku ran his hands across the stone for some kind of slot or switch. When he touched the jaw, he noticed that it gave a little after some pressure, which led him to pull down. As expected, the drawbridge lowered for the two teens, the blond punk widening his eyes in shock. "Just as I thought. This Kamoshida is incredibly self absorbed…"

"Holy crap, that was amazin'! You're pretty damn smart, man!" Ryuji complimented with a grin, Izuku immediately blushing up and rubbing the back of his head.

"N-no, it was nothing, really…"

"Man… but seriously, for it to be something like that, Kamoshida is as full of himself as ever… bastard…" Ryuji snapped in annoyance before turning back to the bridge. "Come on, let's go."

"Hey, wait you two!" A young voice cried out. Izuku and Ryuji paused before they could cross the bridge, glancing around in question after hearing the new voice. "Behind you!" They quickly turned around, now looking at one of the cells. Within it, a creature about two feet tall clung to the bars. The majority of its body was black, with short, stubby limbs and a head as large as its entire torso. It had a white fur on the bottom half of it's round face with strangely large oval eyes and wore a yellow scarf around its neck. On top of its head were unmistakable cat ears.

"Do you think you can let me out?"

 **To be continued…**

 **EDIT: Thanks goes to reppuzan for taking the time to go back on my previous chapters and clean them up nicely!**

 **And, done! Glad I'm getting the jump on this story now, rather than take my time to release more chapters. It helps that the ideas are really fresh in my mind, so it's making it easier for me to write out each chapter so quickly. Originally I had planned for this chapter to go more into their escape, but I want to keep chapters under ten thousand words. Had I gone into the escape, it would have been much longer than I had planned. I think this is a good place to end the chapter.**

 **Thanks goes to The Infamous Man for his idea for Izuku's Persona and overall design. I had a couple ideas in mind, but his fit most personality wise when it came to Izuku's own Persona. I didn't want to just reuse Arsene as it wouldn't feel very fitting for Izuku's personality or original.**

 **Also if you want a clearer idea of what Izuku's costume looks like, think of his usual hero outfit, but with the picaresque color theme, basically black where it was green and red in the details and gloves. As for his mask, it's basically a masquerade version of Izuku's usual pull over mask and different coloring.**

 **Anyways, I hope you all liked it, please leave a review, follow and favorite for me if you'd be so kind! Thank you!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I own neither My Hero Academia or Persona 5**

Chapter 4

There was a lone girl who sat in the library during lunch. Unlike most students, she spent her free time going through her notes and materials instead of socializing and relaxing. This wasn't because she was falling behind or had a test coming up. She was simply trying to keep her mind sharp and ready for what exams may come in the future. Her goal was to enter a prestigious college, and to do that, she had to be on top of her academics.

She was a third-year student and the student council president. Her black and red plaid skirt t went halfway down her thighs and she wore black leggings underneath it. In place of the school blazer, she wore a black vest over the required turtleneck. She had straight brunette hair that went to the nape of her neck accessorized with a braided hairband that could be easily mistaken for part of her hair. Her complexion was fair and her eyes were a piercing red.

This is Makoto Niijima.

"Did you hear about the transfer student we're supposed to get today?" Makoto could hear a girl whisper from a table down. She wasn't trying to eavesdrop, but the chatter had interrupted her train of thought. She wanted to tell her to quiet down, but realized that it would have been rude. They were at least whispering among themselves.

"Oh, yeah, I did! A first-year, right? Doesn't he have a record or something?" This brought her some pause, but she immediately shook her head, deciding to focus on her work. It had nothing to do with her, after all.

"Yeah, that's right! He must have some crazy scary Quirk. Normally it's pretty hard to get an assault charge nowadays." The first girl hummed quietly.

"That's the scary part. Apparently he doesn't even have a Quirk!" the other one pointed out, her friend gasping in surprise. "Today was supposed to be his first day, too, but apparently he didn't even show up for class!"

"He certainly isn't helping his case if he's doing that. He looked pretty plain on the criminal record of him online, though."

 _Criminal record? How did they get a hold of that?_ Makoto found herself wondering, but she shook her head again and tried to clear her thoughts. She didn't have time for gossip.

To think that the newest transfer student had a criminal record... She was surprised that the principal would accept such a student.

 _And he was Quirkless? What kind of boy could they have accepted?_

"I can't remember his name, but I remember what he looks like…. I think he had big, poofy curly hair that was kinda dark green… and freckles on his cheeks…"

 _Wait. What? That…_

"I think it started with an 'M'. Mizo-Midor-Mi…"

"Midoriya. Izuku Midoriya." Makoto found herself speaking up, slowly setting her pencil down. She looked up at the girls finally, her eyes shining with curiosity and worry. "W-was that his name?!"

"O-oh, yeah! That was it!" The first girl chirped, "I'm surprised you knew, Niijima-senpai! Did you see his criminal record, too?"

"N-no, I haven't. Wh-where can I find it?" Makoto asked, walking over to the table with surprising energy.

"It was leaked to Twitter by some anonymous kid from our school, I think. Here." The second girl informed, pulling out her phone and scrolling through the page. She held up the phone and allowed Makoto to take it, who took it gingerly and looked at the file. On the page was Izuku's unmistakable face. His mugshot showed him to be on the verge of tears. The file also listed his crime and several of his personal details.

Makoto's hand slightly shook as she held the phone, but she did well to mask her discomfort. She slowly handed the phone back to the girl and offered a curt smile. "Thank you for showing me… and I apologize for eavesdropping on your conversation."

"Don't worry about it, prez. It's probably best you know out of all the students anyway. Who knows what the kid is capable of, right?" The girl smiled back with a nod.

"Right… well then, I'll get going. Thank you both for that information." Makoto bowed in appreciation before returning to her books. She couldn't study, not now. She immediately packed away her pencils and notepads and stuffed them away into her school bag before turning around to leave.

 _I wanted to see him and Baka-cha-Bakugou someday, but I never would have imagined like this… what happened to you, Midori?_

* * *

Izuku and Ryuji stared for a long moment at the strange creature, unsure what exactly they were looking at. Ryuji was the first to speak up, though he could only tilt his head in question. "Uh… you're a cat… monster… thing…"

"Sakamoto-senpai, that's probably his Quirk!" Izuku argued, turning to the cat before humming in thought. "Although… even those with cat-like appearances don't usually remain so small… your head's rather large in comparison to your body, too… it's almost like you're some kind of mascot…"

"What? No way. I've never seen a Quirk that makes someone look like this before," Ryuji argued, scratching the top of his head in thought.

"It's not that farfetched, to be honest. Have you ever seen images of the principal of U.A.?" Izuku reasoned, turning to Ryuji fully. "He's actually a mouse-type… I think... "

"The principal of-oh yeah~!" Ryuji hummed in realization. "That's right! I saw him on TV a couple of times! Usually for the Sports Festival, I think…"

"Exactly! It could be something similar to that for him, as well," Izuku declared with a satisfied nod, glancing at Morgana with more understanding. "I'm glad we cleared that up…"

"H-hey! Are you both making fun of me?!" The cat thing snapped in irritation, "I'm not a cat! Nor is this my Quirk! I think…" The cat thing said, though his last words were more subdued.

"You think? The hell is that supposed to mean?" Ryuji spat, raising a brow before shaking his head. "Wait, who cares. Let's just leave him. If it's not his Quirk, then he might be one of those creepy ass guard things."

"S-Sakamoto-senpai! I can't do that!" Izuku immediately went over to the switch. "I-it doesn't seem like the others, and it was also locked up here. I-I don't think we have to worry about him being our enemy…"

"See? This guy gets it!" The cat monster turned to Izuku with a smug grin. "You seem pretty sharp. You even caught on to the switch all on your own."

"Ah, come on, Midoriya. We don't…" Ryuji grumbled, against the idea. Breathing a sigh of exasperation, Ryuji finally conceded. "Yeah, okay, fine. My bad… At least we're able to help someone while we're here."

"Tell you what? I'll sweeten the deal. For letting me out, I'll guide you two out of this joint," The cat declared, immediately drawing their attention back to him. "That should be enough compensation for releasing me, right?"

"S-seriously?!" Ryuji muttered. Before anyone could add further to the conversation, the sound of metal footfall could be heard in the distance, drawing the attention of the three back to the way Izuku and Ryuji came in. "Ah, screw it, you got a deal! We were gonna let you out, anyways…"

Izuku gave a kind smile and opened the door for the cat creature, pulling a switch just to the left of the cell. The door swung open, the monster skipping out and stretching its body. "Feels so good to be free again!"

"Hey, cat! We don't have time to mess around, so hurry up and lead the way!" Ryuji snapped impatiently, earning a glare from the small creature.

"I'm not a cat! The name's Morgana, and don't you forget it!" It identified itself indignantly. "Besides, weren't you two both just wasting time arguing over what I was?"

"Whatever, just hurry up and lead us outta here!" Ryuji disregarded. Before Morgana could retort, Izuku decided to step in, holding his hands up to ease them both.

"C-come on, guys. We've got to focus on escaping… there's no reason to keep fighting," He turned back to Morgana with hopeful eyes. "Now please, Morgana-san, lead us out of here."

"Well, at least one of you can keep a level head," Morgana snickered, rubbing its paw under his nose. "Alright then, you two. Stay close and follow me. Across this bridge, hurry!"

The cat didn't have to tell them twice, the two following after Morgana without hesitation as he ran across the bridge. For something that small with such tiny legs, Morgana was surprisingly fast, easily outpacing the teenagers despite their own desperate sprint forward. As the three crossed the bridge, they walked right into an enemy knight, Ryuji skidding his feet on the ground as he came to a stop. "Ah shit, an enemy!" He cried out in shock. Morgana didn't seem deterred, taking a position in front of the two with a cocky smirk on his mascot-like face.

"Such an amateur. Watch and learn!" The cat declared before glancing at Izuku. The green haired teen's clothes had transformed the moment they encountered the knight, Izuku only further confused by what was going on with his strange new powers. "Hey, it looks like you can fight. Help me out."

"Wh-what?" Izuku blinked in surprise for a moment before quickly catching on, nodding in acceptance. "A-alright, I'll do what I can!"

"Good, then! Now come, **Zorro!** " Morgana proclaimed. A flash of blue flame suddenly erupted around his body, causing Ryuji and Izuku to cover their eyes in shock. A figure clad in black rose from the feline creature's body. Its massive torso looked far too unwieldy for its spindly legs to support. It wore a Spanish black suit and had a round, flat head with cat-like eyes and an absurdly long, pointed mustache that went past either side of its head. It held a rapier between its thumb and index finger that looked too small to be of any use considering its girth, which it brandished in a Z pattern in the air before pointing the sword at the opposing knights.

"S-so you have one too, then...?" Izuku muttered in shock, eyes gazing up at the large being hovering above Morgana.

"Wh-why does the friggin' cat have one too?!" Ryuji blurted out in shock.

"Hey, eyes forward! Focus on our enemies." Morgana ordered, Izuku blinking after a moment before quickly snapping his attention forward toward the guards. Like before, they shed their armor, forming a black ooze before rising from it. Like before, a pumpkin-headed monster appeared, but this time its companion was different. It was an impish creature with large beady eyes and a slender body. On its crotch, a large horn stuck out past its knees. If their lives weren't in danger, Izuku might have made a comment about how strange it looked.

"Aw, dude, is that thing its dong?!"

Apparently Ryuji felt more inclined to make the first comment on it.

"Who cares, we're in the middle of a fight!" Morgana groaned in irritation, pulling out a scimitar from nowhere. Just like before, Izuku found a staff in his hands. "Anyways, get ready. They're intercepting us and blocking our exit. We're going to have to fight our way through."

"U-understood." Izuku nodded in acceptance, reaching up and pulling the mask from his face, summoning Carter above him. To his relief, the action of removing the mask was no longer painful nor did it cause him to bleed. "Carter, shine down!" The mumbling teen ordered, the large being forming a ball of light in his palm before pitching it like a fastball. The jack-o-lantern monster recoiled in pain, but withstood the attack, hissing in anger as it darted forward.

"Heh, you're a beginner, alright. Let me show you how it's done." Morgana scoffed, jumping forward. "Come forth, my other self!" Zorro twirled its blade in a Z shape and unleashing a strong gust of wind. This hit the pumpkin monster dead on and, unlike before, knocked the monster off its nonexistent feet, its body hitting the ground with a thud as it seemed dazed.

"I-it seemed more effective than my attack! Was it that much more powerful?!" Izuku inquired aloud, eyes trained on the fallen monster.

"Not quite. Most Shadows usually have a weakness you can exploit. That one was weak to wind. They all have different weaknesses, though, so it's up to you to find them," Morgana explained, watching the impish monster carefully.

It was keeping its distance, having realized that it was likely going to have to charge in alone now that its pumpkin-headed ally was incapacitated. "This is a basic thing to know when fighting Shadows, so remember it well."

"Shadows?" Midoriya repeated, looking back up at the monsters. "So that's what they're called?"

"Watch out, that one's coming in for an attack!" Morgana warned, pulling Izuku from his thoughts. He raised his staff in hopes of blocking the imp's assault, but he missed the timing, allowing the imp to rake its claws across his chest. Izuku grit his teeth in pain as he touched his wound gingerly, feeling where the material of his attire had been ripped open.

"D-damn it, it hits pretty hard…"

"Don't worry, I've got you covered!" Morgana announced, summoning Zorro once again. "Dia!" With a quick flourish of its sword, the towering being cast something that surrounded Izuku in a green light, his wound and clothes mending themselves until it looked like he was never injured at all.

"Wh-whoa, I'm all healed…" Izuku muttered in shock. Not even Recovery Girl's Quirk worked that fast. He didn't have time to dwell on it, as the imp came back for another slash. Izuku made sure to dodge this time, quickly sidestepping the monster.

His teeth clenched as adrenaline began to surge through his veins, Izuku summoned his courage and swung his staff, slamming the monster in the side of the head. It knocked the Shadow back a few meters but it wasn't down for the count. Izuku didn't bother to wait and see if it would retort, quickly summoning Carter and pointing forward.

"Kouha!" Another ball of light flew forward, knocking the imp to the ground.

"Great hit! Now, let's finish 'em off!" Morgana ordered again.

With a single nod in agreement, Izuku followed the cat's lead, both summoning their other selves and hurling their powers towards their respective targets. With a wail of pain, both the imp and the jack-o-lantern burst into thin air, the final blow from their attacks finishing them off.

With their enemy destroyed, Morgana turned to Izuku, flashing a large grin on his round head,. "Not bad for a newbie, I'll give you that. Your Persona is pretty strong, too."

Izuku was breathing heavily, wiping the sweat from his brow on his sleeve before turning to Morgana with a small grin of his own.

"Th-thanks… b-but I am feeling pretty tired…" Izuku admitted, leaning forward on his knees before placing his thumb and index finger over his mouth in thought. "B-but still, it's interesting to learn that these Shadows all have certain weaknesses… in future combat situations, it would be best to look for these first before using physical attacks, that way we can finish them off much faster. The problem is that it doesn't look like we have a lot of different attributes at our disposal. It would be wise to determine how many attributes there are…"

Izuku continued to mutter to himself as, Ryuji and Morgana looked on in confusion.

"Does… he always do this?" Morgana asked, tilting his head over to look at Ryuji.

"Uh, well, I mean I just met him, but uh, he did do somethin' like this a bit earlier…" Ryuji said, kicking the ground awkwardly. "H-hey, dude! You're doing that mumbly thing again."

"Huh?" Izuku finally stopped as he turned back to his companions, blushing in embarrassment as he realized what he was doing. "O-oh, s-s-sorry about that! I got really lost in thought…" clearing his throat, Izuku stood straight and turned to Morgana.

"S-so, these powers we have… they're called Personas?"

"You mean those bigass monsters that come out of you all dramatic-like?" Ryuji asked this time, walking up and joining the two now that the threat was dealt with.

"That's right. They are what is called a Persona." Morgana nodded in confirmation. "Notice how he tore off his mask when he summoned it? You see, everyone has a mask within their heart that they wear to protect them…" Morgan began to explain. Before he could finish, a flash of blue flame surrounded Izuku once again, changing his clothes back to normal.

"Wh-what? I'm back to normal…" Izuku muttered, glancing down at his attire that had returned to his school clothes.

"Weird. It looks like you don't have full control over your powers, yet." Morgana hummed in thought, tilting his head in wonder. "Normally your clothes wouldn't shift like that-"

"Hey, can we save this for later?! It's confusin' as hell and I really don't get any of it…" Ryuji grumbled, the cat turning to him in annoyance.

"Can't you just sit still and listen for a second?! You're the one asking all of these questions!" Morgana huffed, shaking his head before looking down the path. "On second thought, let's just get going. We don't have time to be standing around talking, anyways. The guards will find us if we stay."

"Y-you're right. We need to leave as quickly as possible…" Izuku agreed, glancing back at the cages that hung over the river. "Once we get out, we'll be able to help these people…"

"Help these people?" Morgana repeated, raising a brow at the green haired teen. "You need to be focused more on saving yourselves than anyone else, curly hair. Not that these people matter, anyway. Now come on!" Morgana ordered, dashing off ahead of them and causing them both to blink.

"Wh-hey! Don't just say somethin' so cynical then start running off!" Ryuji snapped in annoyance, taking off after the cat alongside Izuku. "Just because you wanna save yourself doesn't mean you gotta be heartless!"

"H-he's right! There's no way we can leave these people just to be tortured! That's terrible!" Izuku agreed, shouting after Morgana as he ran.

"Ugh, you guys just don't get it. I'm not saying it because I'm being heartless, I-" Morgana came to a halt after stopping at the top of the stairs, widening his eyes and smiling. "We're almost out, just across this bridge!" Morgana told them, Izuku and Ryuji quickly joining him at the top. While the drawbridge was raised, there was another Kamoshida statue nearby, the switch likely in the same place.

"Well, at least we're almost outta this shitshow…" Ryuji sighed in relief, walking forward after Morgana.

Izuku merely nodded, but what Morgana had told them continue to rub Izuku the wrong way. How could they just leave all of these people behind to be tortured? It didn't make any sense. Morgana didn't seem like the type of person to be so callous, but again, they had only just met. Still, he couldn't help but be bothered by the statement.

"Hey look, over here!" Izuku was pulled from his thoughts, looking up to see Ryuji standing in front of one of the cages. Jogging over to join him, Izuku widened his eyes to see another teen lying on the ground, wearing a P.E. outfit from what Izuku could tell.

"Who is this guy? He looks familiar but…" Ryuji groaned in irritation, scratching his head. "Damn it, I'm too damn nervous! I can't think straight!"

"Hey, I told you guys already, didn't I? These people don't matter." Morgana reminded them, Izuku raising a brow in question. "Look, there's no enough time to explain. We need to-" before he could say anything further, the bridge seemed to lower on its own. Shuffling across came another sole guard, quickly causing the cat to groan. "Damn it, I told you both to listen…"

"W-we'll just fight like before." Izuku stated firmly, his previous outfit returning to him once again.

"Huh. You know, for a stuttery guy, you're pretty brave, huh?" Morgana turned to the Shadow and smirking.

"I like that." It quickly dissolved into a black mess, this time summoning forth a different creature. It was a small woman with pixie wings, wearing a blue one-piece with matching gloves and boots. Like with the previous one, two had spawned from the armor.

"Carter!" Izuku called out as he ripped the mask off, the Persona materializing into existence. It seemed to understand Izuku's intent, flying forward and slamming its fist into the fairy and knocking it down.

"Nice, you landed a solid hit!" Morgana grinned before turning to the other Shadow. "Zorro, show your might!" The cat's persona appeared, unleashing a torrent of wind once again on the other. The fairy took damage, but didn't fall like those before it. Instead, it flew forward and attacked Morgana.

"Too slow!" Morgana taunted as he jumped over its feeble assault, as he came back down from the air, Morgana slashed at it with his scimitar, finishing off the pixie with a slash and dispersing it into black ooze, like before.

Izuku jumped forward with his staff, slamming it down on the creature he had knocked off its feet and causing it to disperse. With a deep breath, Izuku started to relax, dismissing Carter and watching as the blue flames dismissed his clothes again. Standing up straight, Izuku rolled his shoulders, feeling his stamina slowly draining from all the fighting, but still capable of continuing on.

"Not bad, curly hair. Not bad at all." Morgana chuckled, zipping up to Izuku and placing his paws on his hips. "You certainly don't look much like a fighter, but you've definitely got backbone."

"Hey, guys! Help me get this guy. I think we can at least carry him out." Ryuji called out, turning their attention to him. The blond was getting ready to open the cage, only for Morgana to groan.

"Will you pay attention?! You can't worry about others right now, and you shouldn't anyway! I don't have time to explain why, but that guy and no one else here matters!" Morgana snapped in annoyance, jumping to the front of the bridge to get ready to leave.

"T-then please, tell me why he doesn't matter!" shouted Izuku , causing Morgana to blink. "I-if you can at least make me understand, th-then I'll listen. I-if you won't and can't wait, th-then take Sakamoto-senpai ahead with you and I-I'll stay back and help carry him out."

"W-wait, what?! Are you crazy?!" Morgana blanched in shock, jaw dropping as he watched Izuku join Ryuji at the cell.

"I-I can fight Sakamoto-senpai, so you can leave with Morgana-san if you want." Izuku pointed out.

"Dude…" Ryuji muttered, his amazement of Izuku only rising. With a large grin, Ryuji shook his head. "Naw, man. You've got me all fired up! I'll carry him for you and you can cover our backs. The cat can leave if he wants." They both turned to Morgana, who only stared at them both in disbelief.

"You chivalrous morons, damn it!" Morgana snapped in annoyance. In truth, he was actually a bit impressed by their resolve, but that didn't change a single fact: "That guy is nothing like either of you! He's not **real**!"

Ryuji and Izuku widened their eyes in confusion.

"Wh-what do you mean 'not real'?" Izuku asked, unsure how to take such an answer. Before Morgana could answer, they heard distant marching from the path they came.

"Ugh, I don't have time to explain that! Just know that what I said is true! He may look like a human, but that thing is sort of like the Shadows we've been fighting!" Morgana summarized for them, looking back at their previous path and groaning.

"Look, I gave the best explanation I can for what little time we've got. I'm going. If you idiots want to save a meaningless fake, be my guest."

"Y-you could be lying to make us go!" Ryuji snapped back, only further confused by Morgana's explanation before turning to Izuku in question. "Wh-what do you think?" To his surprise, Izuku looked rather thoughtful, holding his chin.

"He might be right…"

"W-wait, what?! You actually-" The footsteps started to get closer, Ryuji grimacing at the thought of reinforcements.

"Look, curly hair seems to get it. If you trust him, then go on that hunch at least," Morgana exclaimed before turning back to the bridge. "I gave you both what I can. I'm going." with that, Morgana dashed off by himself. Ryuji looked down at Izuku, pleading for a real answer. Izuku was sweating a bit, unsure of his choice, but nodded.

"Let's go, Sakamoto-sempai. I think I at least understand a bit of what he means." Izuku declared. Clicking his tongue, Ryuji nodded, resigning himself to running away.

"And right when I was getting all fired up about bein' a Hero…" The two quickly sprinted across the bridge. Thankfully, Morgana had been waiting for them at the other side, ushering for them to follow after. Once they caught up, he lead them up a flight of stone stairs and through another door. This time, they were in familiar territory: the front entrance of this castle.

"Th-this is the main hall we were captured in…" Izuku muttered aloud, glancing at the front doors.

"Don't bother with that, they've probably locked it up after you guys just strolled in here," Morgana declared, waving a paw. "This way, we'll go out one of the side entrances." He lead them past the main doors, both boys a bit reluctant to pass by the freedom that looked so close, but decided to put their trust in the cat for now. Once they reached the opposite hall, they were faced with two doors.

"Alright, we're here," Morgana announced. Ryuji, in his haste, ran to the farthest door to the right, trying to bust it open with his shoulder but only finding it locked.

"Damn it! This thing won't open! Did you trick us after-"

"S-Sakamoto-sempai…"

Ryuji looked up at Izuku to see him pushing the other door open, causing Ryuji to frown in embarrassment.

"You do realize that your exit was to the left, right?" Morgana scoffed, picking on Ryuji as he shook his head and entered the room.

"H-hey, wait up!" Ryuji fumbled after the two, quickly closing the door behind them. Compared to anything they had seen so far, this room was quite modest. It had bookshelves around them and even a wooden table with chairs. Looking around, it seemed like they were still at a dead end, though Izuku was quick to spot out a way out:

"Up there, that ventilation shaft!" Izuku pointed out above the bookcase. It was covered by an iron mesh, but it didn't look particularly strong.

"You've got a good eye, curly hair. You're pretty quick on uptake, too. Unlike your blondie pal over here." Morgana chuckled, immediately causing Ryuji to click his tongue in annoyance.

"Don't call me blondie! The name is Ryuji!" He snapped before looking up at the mesh. "That shouldn't be too hard to pull off. Let me handle this one." Ryuji offered, setting down their school bags and climbing up the bookshelf. With several hard tugs on the mesh, the stone finally gave in, Ryuji falling on his back with a thud, but having successfully given them an exit. "Ow… I hope no one heard that…"

"Good job, Sakamoto-senpai!" Izuku grinned, going to his side and helping the blond stand. Shaking his body out, Ryuji seemed to be just fine, dusting off his shirt and pants.

"Alright, you two. Get going." Morgana ushered them out, Ryuji and Izuku turning to him in surprise.

"You're not comin' with us?" Ryuji asked curiously, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"I've still got stuff I need to do here. This is where we part ways." Morgana explained, shaking his head.

"Th-thank you for your help, Morgana-san." Izuku said in appreciation, offering a small bow.

"Heh, you've got some manners." Morgana chuckled, pointing toward the shaft. "Now be careful on your-"

"B-before I go, though…" Izuku interrupted, glancing back up at Morgana. "Do you think we… have time to answer some questions first?" Ryuji and Morgana blinked in surprise, the cat glancing back worriedly at the door.

"You know, he is right. After what you told us back there, some answers would be nice." Ryuji admitted, crossing his arms expectantly.

Looking up between the two, Morgana released a heavy sigh, dashing back to the door and peeking out ever so slightly. The coast had been clear and he didn't sense any enemies close by. "I suppose I can answer a couple questions… but make it fast!"

Not wasting any time, Izuku spoke up first. "Back there, you said that those people in the cages weren't like us, that they were fake. What exactly do you mean by that?"

"I was surprised you actually bought that. You really think those people aren't real?" Ryuji spoke this time, looking at Izuku.

"I only sort of believe it. It made no sense that Kamoshida-sensei would have so many students locked up in some dungeon. There would have been reports of such massive numbers of students disappearing beforehand, and I haven't seen anything on the news like that of late," Izuku explained, his logic now bringing Ryuji pause. "It could be argued that they had arrived at the same time as us, slightly before or after, but many of them looked like they had been held captive for a long time. We were also the only ones treated as intruders of the castle. Not to mention no one else is trying to run away or struggle. It makes no sense at all…"

Izuku laid out his thoughts for them, his insight on the situation surprising both of his companions. "To be honest, it's becoming easier and easier to believe that they're not real people. But I still want to know how and why."

Izuku's eyes fell expectantly to Morgana, who was in the middle of clearing his throat. "I have to say, I'm surprised how fast you caught onto it on your own. I suppose since you've realized all that, I can be honest. This place, this castle and those kids. They are nothing but cognitive creations of someone with heavily distorted desires. All of which exist in the world of cognition."

"Cognition?" Izuku repeated, raising a brow as he contemplated the answer.

"B-but wait a sec-that doesn't make any sense!" Ryuji exclaimed, jumping into the conversation. "Kamoshida is here and everything! I know for sure that bastard is real! Though… I've never seen him dress or act like a complete ass like that…"

"That Kamoshida fellow, the king of this castle that you met, is both Kamoshida and not Kamoshida." Morgana declared, placing his paws on his hips. "A Shadow is the manifestation of negative human emotions. When a strong Shadow exists, it attracts lesser Shadows, which were the ones we were fighting up to this point. Another thing to remember is that this world of cognition exists alongside you at all times. Now, in this cognitive world, there are places that are generated by a Shadow with strong, distorted desires. These places take up a small portion of this cognitive world for their own. This is what I like to call a 'Palace'."

"W-wait, slow down. I'm having trouble processing all of this!" Ryuji waved his hands, earning a tired sigh from Morgana. Izuku, on the other hand, just nodded in understanding.

"So basically, this place is how Kamoshida views the world around him on the inside," Izuku simplified so that Ryuji might understand a bit better. "If that's true, then that means Shujin Academy really is like his castle to him, then."

"W-wait, what?! What do you mean?" Ryuji snapped his head to look at Izuku, the green haired teen glancing up at him now.

"Remember, Sakamoto-senpai. The sign outside of the castle said this was Shujin Academy. Even the path to get here was the same as the one you've normally taken before, right?" Izuku pointed out for the blond, having examined all of the data he collected in his mind. "That means that Kamoshida-sensei's distortion exists the strongest at the school. He views it exactly the way you said he does."

"... oh… Oh!" Ryuji widened his eyes, seemingly understanding it for himself, though Morgana doubted that he completely got it. "I-I think I get what you're saying! That son of a bitch!" Ryuji cursed, huffing in irritation for a moment.

Suddenly a thought occurred to him, his eyes widening in shock before turning to them. "But wait, that still doesn't explain how we got here, though!"

"That's true. That part is still a mystery…" Izuku admitted, glancing at Morgana. "Do you have any ideas?"

"Sorry, nothing that comes to mind. You'll have to figure that one out on your own," Morgana admitted, glancing back at the door. "Alright, I've answered enough questions for now. If you want to learn more about all of this, you'll have to come back here sometime. I've got my own objectives to fulfill. Now get going!"

Ryuji and Izuku glanced at one another and nodded. Izuku had at least gotten some answers from Morgana regarding this place, though he still had plenty of questions that he needed to ask. Still, what they had learned was better than nothing.

"Thank you, Morgana-san. Maybe… maybe we'll come back."

"Y-yeah, I wanna know what the hell is really going on with this place, too." Ryuji nodded before climbing up the bookshelf. "See you later, cat."

"I told you, I'm not a cat!" Morgana snapped, only to be promptly ignored by the blond as he climbed through the ventilation shaft.

"The nerve of that guy…" Morgana hummed to himself as he watched them climb out. "Still… those two could be useful to me. Especially the curly haired one…"

* * *

Izuku and Ryuji had sprinted for the gates once they had reached the outer wall of the castle. They went out the same way they came through the alleys, only coming to a stop once they reached the main street. The sight of so many people was a huge reassurance to both boys as they gasped for air. "S-so I guess we made it, then?"

Izuku glanced around at the city, noticing that people seemed to be going about their days like normal. He didn't know how or why, but it seemed that they had escaped the supposed world of cognition.

"I-I think we're safe…" He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, checking the signal. This time it was at full strength, but it looked like the ghost app that had haunted him before was still open on the center screen.

" _You have returned to the real world. Welcome back."_

"W-wait, what'd it say?" Ryuji muttered. "The real world?"

Ryuji scanned his surroundings again. Everything was perfectly normal. "D-damn it, even though you and the cat explained everything, I'm still lost as hell!"

 _S-so wait, this app knew where we had traveled? Does that mean…_ Izuku mused to himself, a bit of sweat trailing down his brow. "

W-was it because of this app that-"

"Hey! You two!" Ryuji and Izuku jumped at the sudden voice, turning to see two police officers approaching them, one towing a bike along. "Shouldn't you both be in school? You're both student's at Shujin, right?"

"Are you cutting classes?" The other officer asked, both looking at them with suspicion.

"What? No!" Ryuji snapped, his previous irritation still lingering from his rather rough experience in the castle. "We were on our way to school when-"

"S-Sakamoto-senpai!" Izuku suddenly shouted, causing the blond turn back to him in question. He quickly shook his head, hoping that Ryuji might get the message. He then turned to the officers and bowed heavily in apology.

"W-we're sorry, officers! W-we were running late because of the subway accidents that have been occurring!" Ryuji blinked in shock and the officer's raised a brow in question before looking at one another.

"Well... it is true that they've been thrown into chaos thanks to the accidents…" One officer relented, turning back to both teens. "Alright, you can go. Hurry up to Shujin now and don't make any stops. It's already late in the day as it is."

"Y-yes, officers! We'll be sure to do just that!" Izuku nodded, grabbing Ryuji's arm and pulling him toward the alley again. The blond punk could only do a double take, looking at the officers and Izuku twice before conceding in silence, turning and following after his junior obediently. After the two were out of earshot, Ryuji snapped his head toward Izuku.

"W-what the heck, man?! Why'd you stop me from tellin' them?"

"I-if we're back in the real world, then it's safe to assume that the castle is gone, Sakamoto-senpai. Telling them that we just came from a castle might make them think we're on drugs or something…" Izuku explained for the blond, Ryuji blinking in realization.

"O-oh… yeah, I-uh… guess that makes sense…" Ryuji slumped his shoulders in defeat. "So then… we're just gonna stroll back to school like nothing happened?"

"I-I guess so… I-I really don't know what's going on or how we got there, but… we have to pretend like nothing happened, okay? We'll have to look out for teachers too, since we're running so late…" Izuku laid out for Ryuji to understand, the taller teen sighing.

"Yeah, I guess… but that shit was so crazy! I-I can't believe we were in some friggin' castle! In some other world, no less!" Ryuji exclaimed, the volume of his voice making Izuku flinch. He definitely wasn't Kacchan, but Ryuji was still pretty loud in his own right. "Quirks and shit be damned, this is a whole new effin' level of crazy!"

"J-just remember to keep to yourself about it, Sakamoto-senpai… no one will understand it except us…" Izuku warned again, the blond nodding in acceptance. After walking the same path that led them to that nightmarish place, the two couldn't help but hold their breath as they approached the school.

When it came into view, they couldn't stop the sigh of relief to see the plain, boring school building that they had been expecting from the start. Ryuji then held up a finger, stopping Izuku in his tracks before peering around the corner of the main gate.

"Alright… looks clear. Doesn't look like those cops ratted us out." Ryuji declared, waving for Izuku to join him. "We're still gonna get in heaps of shit, but at least we don't have to deal with a teacher right off the bat." Ryuji sighed and scratched the back of his head.

"Today's been crazy as hell and I just wanna get it over with…" he looked back at Izuku and sighed. "Let's talk about it more later. Meet me on the rooftop after school, okay? We'd better get to classes now and get 'em over with."

"A-alright, Sakamoto-senpai. I'll see you then." Izuku nodded, waving goodbye as the blond departed. His class was on the third floor, but if he remembered correctly, he was to see Kawakami first.

 _Sh-she's likely going to be pretty upset when she sees me…_

Izuku sighed, hanging his head as he walked forward into the hall. It seemed strange that, after the day he'd had so far, Izuku would even be concerned about such things. But he was back in reality, and had to deal with real life issues again.

The moment he rounded the corner to climb the stairs, Izuku found himself bumping into someone, almost getting knocked down and having to regain his balance. "A-ah, I'm really sorry about-" He began apologizing until he saw who it was: Kamoshida.

"Oh, it's alright. No harm done." The coach waved off, offering a strangely kind smile to the green haired teen. Izuku saw through it, though, the image of that "king" flashing before his eyes where Kamoshida stood. He had remained silent after the teacher's words, unintentionally staring at the coach in both fear and disgust.

Seeing this, Kamoshida raised a brow. "Is something the matter?"

"Huh?" Izuku blinked before realizing what he was doing. "N-n-no! N-not at all! I-I just n-need to find the faculty office…" Izuku fumbled for an excuse, Kamoshida crossing his arms as he thought for a moment. Suddenly realization hit him.

"Oh, I know who you are. You're the transfer student, right?" Kamoshida hummed, looking down on Izuku with a darker expression. "You know, you're not going to help your reputation by showing up so late on the first day of school. Especially with that record of yours."

Izuku flinched at the mere mention of his criminal record.

 _So all the teachers were told about it, then…_

Out of everyone in school, Kamoshida would definitely rank as the one person he would have liked to not know about that after what he saw of his cognitive world.

Without receiving a response, Kamoshida decided to continue. "Well, you seem like a rather jumpy boy, so it's probably best that you don't draw anymore unwanted attention to yourself. I'll overlook this for today. I'm sure the principal also told you this, but cause any trouble, and you'll be expelled, got it?"

Izuku hung his head low, not wanting to look into Kamoshida's eyes. Not out of shame, but more out of disgust for the man. "... I understand, sensei."

"Good. At any rate, head up this stairs and go down the hall on your right once you get up to the second floor. I'm sure Kawakami-sensei is tired of waiting for you." Kamoshida pointed out for Izuku, the teen nodding in acceptance and walking around the coach to hurry up the stairs.

"Oh, and by the way…" Izuku stopped, glancing over his shoulder with one eye at the coach. Kamoshida gave a warm smile, but Izuku could sense the malice behind it. "Good luck trying to enjoy your new school life here."

Izuku raised a brow at that but said nothing. Kamoshida didn't wait for his reply either way, and continued down the hall. Thinking back to the coach's Shadow, Izuku could tell that the man was in no way kind. That final comment was almost like he was taunting Izuku. But he couldn't tell why.

 _Even if he's not a good person, would a teacher actually do bad things to his students?_

 **To be continued…**

 **EDIT: Thanks goes to reppuzan for taking the time to go back on my previous chapters and clean them up nicely!**

 **Wow, that chapter went a lot smoother than I was expecting! The first two pages were already kind of done since I had gone into them from the previous chapter but decided to cut off, but I think that it worked out for the best. So far the general number of words has stuck to around 7 thousand per, and I might as well keep it that way. Doesn't mean it might not shorten or raise in the future, but it's good for keeping a general idea of the length of what most chapters might be.**

 **The hardest thing to figure out would be how Izuku might react to the facts about the cognitive world. I think he would definitely be able to figure it out more easily than Akira considering his level of intelligence. Akira was also more of a 'go with the flow' type anyways. A thing to note about how different the characters are in the first place. The evidence was all over the wall, considering what they saw.**

 **Anyway, that's about it for this chapter! Hope you all enjoyed, please leave a review, follow and a favorite!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I own neither My Hero Academia or Persona 5**

Chapter 5

"You **seriously** decided to show up to school this late on your first day?"

Izuku could only wince at Kawakami's words, her tone dripping with disappointment. Izuku hadn't been looking forward to seeing his teacher so late in the day, but he couldn't just not show up. So, he decided to face the music.

This kind of thing bothered Izuku more than usual, probably because he was still incredibly tired from what most of his day had turned into. He had to agree with Ryuji on one thing: it really was a pain to survive such a harrowing experience and then go to school.

Still, Izuku knew he had to do what he had to do. It was definitely strange to go from worrying about whether or not you're going to die to worrying about what your teacher and classmates would now think of you.

"I-I'm sorry, Kawakami-sensei! Th-the train w-was running really late because of all th-the accidents!" Izuku lied, knowing that anything else he would say would most likely be brushed off. Even this was pushing it. To show his remorse, he deeply bowed to the teacher.

"It's true that the trains have been running late because of all the incidents…" Kawakami trailed off for a moment before fixing him with a small glare. "But still, it would have been faster if you just walked to school rather than waiting for the train to show up."

"T-true…" Izuku muttered, scratching the back of his head. "B-but I don't really know the area very well a-and my phone's map is-"

"Save it, alright?" Kawakami huffed, shaking her head. "Look, this is more about you than it is me. You shouldn't show up so late on your first day like this. Especially if you don't want start rumors about you."

"R-right…" Izuku muttered, unable to look his teacher in the eyes. He felt terrible about lying like this, but there was no helping it.

"You also happened to show up around the same time as Sakamoto. Did you run into him?"

Izuku felt a bit of sweat rise from that question. "Y-yes… S-Sakamoto-senpai helped me find the school." Izuku technically wasn't lying this time. The blond had definitely helped him in that regard. Among a great deal of other things.

"Really? Sakamoto did?" said Kawakami. "That's almost hard to believe. He's got a reputation as a real troublemaker around the school. Ditching classes, dyeing his hair… while it's nice that he did that for you, try not to get involved with him."

Kawakami's eyes fell to the side, almost looking sorry for Ryuji. "Although… he wasn't like that when he was keeping busy with the track team."

 _Track team? Is that the reason why there's a history between him and Kamoshida-sensei?_

"Wh-what happened?"

Kawakami considered the question for a moment before sighing. "We don't really have time to go over that. Just try not hang around that kid, okay?" Standing from her seat, the teacher grabbed several papers.

"The break period is about to end. We'll be headed to your fifth period class once it's over and I'll introduce you to your classmates. Also, because of the train accidents, class will end after fifth period. Try to head straight home afterwards, okay? Sakura-san sounded pretty upset when we notified him of your tardiness."

"O-oh, right…" Izuku had completely forgotten about his guardian. He hadn't wanted to disappoint the man who was kind enough to allow him to stay at his… restaurant, and things had been going pretty well so far. No doubt this would cause a bit of friction.

"Anyways, let's get going. As it turns out, you're going to be in my first-year homeroom. Lucky me…" Kawakami explained, muttering the last part loud enough that Izuku heard her, still. "But that's not your next class. I'm just guiding you to it."

Izuku nodded, and with that, the two finally departed. The bell had rung for the end of the break, so it was good time for them to leave now. As they passed through the hall for the stairs, Izuku didn't miss it when other students stopped to stare at him. He couldn't hear what they were whispering, but it definitely making him more comfortable.

 _Why would anyone actually notice me? I might be new, but nobody should know about it yet._

It wasn't long before they reached the classroom on the third floor, Izuku gulping the moment it came into view. He was already bad at dealing with his classmates. His previous ones had been no better than Kacchan when it came to bullying him. All because he was Quirkless.

"Try not to attract attention to yourself, okay? Just looking at how skittish you are, I doubt you'd want everyone's eyes on you." Kawakami advised, turning back to Izuku and crossing her arms. "So when you get called up to talk, try not to stutter so much and keep your introduction short."

"R-r-right! I-I'll do my best to keep it brief!" Izuku nodded, nervousness starting to reverberate through his body. Kawakami watched him for a moment longer before releasing a small sigh and shaking her head.

"You're going to have a tough time, kid…" She muttered before sliding the door to his class open. Thankfully they had a headstart on most of Izuku's class, only a select few were in their seats and chatting casually among themselves. "Good luck in there."

"Th-thank you for your help, Kawakami-sensei." Izuku bowed in appreciation before walking into the room. The teacher watched him for a moment longer before sighing, closing the door and taking her leave. To be honest, she felt bad for the green-haired teen. Part of her wanted to help him out, but… she couldn't.

Not after what happened with the first child she tried to help. She could never help a student out like that again.

Izuku slowly moved to the back of the class. He would have to move once all of the students arrived, but for now he wanted to keep a low profile. It didn't seem to work though, as the small group of students already gathered suddenly went silent around him. When they thought he was out of earshot, they started to whisper.

He could make out small phrases, the first few being 'transfer student' and 'plain-looking'. That was the normal reaction he expected when he first arrived in class. But one sentence among them left him in complete and utter shock.

"He's definitely the one with a criminal record…"

 _What? How?!_ Izuku thought with dread, his palms and forehead were already glistening with sweat. _H-how do they know about that?!_

As students started to walk into the class, Izuku noted one by one how each student looked at him. It had been painful enough to have peers look down on him for being Quirkless, but this was totally different.

To be feared as a criminal or some kind of Villain who was just going to get thrown in jail… It hurt Izuku more than anything.

He wanted to help people. He wanted to be a Hero who could make people smile like All Might.

Now, everyone around him just thought of him as a two-bit thug.

* * *

Izuku had somehow gotten through his class in silence, only speaking at the front when the teacher made him greet his classmates, but he became dead to the world as soon as he returned to his desk.

Once the bell rang, Izuku robotically stood from his seat and walked out of the classroom. He didn't bother trying to listen to those around him, nor did he care how the other students scooted out of his way or sped up if he seemed to be walking behind them.

 _How did it happen? How did it get leaked on my_ _ **first**_ _day here?!_

Izuku had been struggling with that thought for the entirety of class. He just wanted to get through the school year in peace. But it seemed that some terrible higher being had it out for him. He couldn't even have the semblance of peace.

His experiences in that cognitive world only served to compound his misery. He was overflowing with questions about the nature of the place and there weren't enough answers to satisfy him.

"You look like you're having a difficult time." Izuku stopped when he heard a girl speak around him. He lifted his head to look around, spotting a girl around his height with brown hair that reached down to the nape of her neck.

Normally Izuku would be freaking out at the prospect of a girl talking to him, but his mind was too muddled by his trying day to think about that. In fact, he thought that she was talking to someone behind him and only turned away to keep walking.

"I was talking to you." Izuku hesitated after a moment before looking back at her again. Inspecting her more closely, Izuku realized that she looked very… familiar. Her piercing red eyes were definitely something that made him feel nostalgic. Kacchan had red eyes. And so did…

"C-can I help you?" Izuku stuttered out, shaking his head of his previous thoughts. He doubted that he'd see her again. It was unlikely. Maybe even impossible.

"... That's it?" She asked, raising a brow in disbelief. "That's all you have to say?"

Izuku was now beginning to set aside his questions, feeling the pressure of her gaze as his eyes started to widen in nervousness.

"U-u-uh I-I m-mean w-wha-I d-don-" Izuku was floundering in his own embarrassment, making exaggerated hand movements in vain attempts to articulate himself.

The girl merely watched him with wonder before she started to smile, holding a hand up to her mouth and beginning to stifle her laughter. Izuku's cheeks flushed as she continued to mock him, turning to the side and hoping he could escape the girl before she was done laughing at him.

"I-I see you're still bad at talking to girls, Midori."

Izuku immediately stopped when he heard that nickname for him. Only one person had ever called him Midori. And she had red eyes like that too. Quickly spinning around, the green-haired teen's jaw dropped. The girl, Makoto Niijima, offered a kind smile.

"K-Koto-san?!" Izuku exclaimed, feeling a mixture of emotions well up inside of him. Makoto had changed from when he last saw her. She was taller, slimmer, more mature. Definitely more girly than he remembered.

"Surprised to see me in something that isn't a t-shirt and shorts?" Makoto asked with a small smirk of amusement, walking up a bit closer to Izuku to talk.

"Y-y-you're… re-really here?!" Izuku blurted out, still in a bit of disbelief.

"When I left, I told you that I wanted to go to a more academically focused school, didn't I?" Makoto pointed out, placing her hands on her hips. "Shujin might seem normal, but its accelerated programs are top-notch"

"I-I see… wow…" Izuku muttered, straightening up and looking over Makoto for a moment. "St-st-still… I-I can't believe I ran into you here…"

"Yes, well, you weren't the only one surprised to realize we were going to the same school now," Makoto giggled with a small smile. It slowly started to fall, her eyes becoming more sullen as she continued to speak. "But… from what I've heard, your circumstances are rather…"

What happiness Izuku might have had before vanished into thin air, a heavy frown forming on his lips as he looked down at the ground.

"S-so you heard, huh?" He muttered out dejectedly, dread filling his voice. Makoto wringed her gloved hands, struggling to formulate a response.

"I… I saw your criminal record…" Makoto admitted, her voice softening quite a bit. "I couldn't believe that the sweetest kid I've ever known had somehow ended up with an assault charge…"

"I-it was… complicated…" Izuku admitted, unwilling to look back up at his long-time childhood friend at first. "B-but what I really wanna know is… how did it get out? Why would someone… do that to me?" Tears threatening to spill from the corners of his eyes yet again.

Makoto immediately regretted bringing up such a sore subject. Izuku had obviously been met with strange looks of ridicule already. She wanted to reach out and place a comforting hand on his shoulder, but hesitated.

"I-I'm sorry that someone did that. I really am. I wish I knew who did it, but-"

"Hey!" Both teens blinked when they heard a familiar voice, Izuku immediately looking up to see Ryuji some ways down the hall, glaring at Makoto. "Why you botherin' my pal here, miss student prez?"

Makoto raised a brow in question, turning her attention away from Izuku and crossing her arms. "Ryuji Sakamoto. Shujin Academy's most infamous troublemaker. I didn't realize you two were acquainted."

"S-Sakamoto-senpai! It's okay!" Izuku suddenly spoke, moving between the two and holding his hands up. "K-Koto-san is an old friend of mine from before I started school here!" He quickly explained, wiping his eyes of any tears. Ryuji awkwardly shuffled his feet and rubbed the back of his head as he realized his mistake.

"O-oh, my bad… didn't realize you knew anyone here. Sorry for interruptin' ya," Ryuji cleared his throat before looking at Makoto. "S-sorry…"

He started to walk forward before placing a hand on Izuku's shoulder and leaning in close. "Meet me up on the roof. I wanna talk about what happened."

Izuku widened his eyes when he heard Ryuji whisper but gave a small, almost unnoticeable nod. Even with everything that was going on right now in his school life, he would not ignore everything that just happened.

With that, Ryuji took his leave, walking past the two and heading up the stairs of the third floor. "First Baka-chan and now Ryuji Sakamoto? You certainly have a penchant for picking rather… energetic friends," said Makoto, drawing Izuku's attention back to her. Izuku could only laugh sheepishly at that, scratching the back of her head.

"Y-You might not be wrong about that…" Izuku admitted before clearing his throat. "S-Sakamoto-senpai is… a really nice guy, though. I-I met him on my way to school, a-and he… helped me get here..."

In what little time they knew each other, Ryuji had tried to save him and stuck by his side even when it could have gotten him killed. It was safe to say that Izuku could trust Sakamoto and maybe even call him a friend. He was still nowhere near as rude as Kacchan, anyway.

"I see…" Makoto hummed in thought before sighing, shaking her head. "Just… try to be careful, okay? It's bad enough that… you know…"

Izuku didn't need her to elaborate on that point.

His gaze drifted to the floor again, eyes half-lidded as he sighed. "I think that… at this point, it wouldn't really matter who I spent my time with, Koto-san…"

He then looked up and gave a small smile. "Besides… Sakamoto-senpai is pretty cool…"

Makoto opened her mouth to try and argue, but decided against it. If Izuku was able to make a friend despite the circumstance he was stuck in, who was she to argue? Still, Makoto couldn't help but act on the protective instinct she felt after seeing Izuku.

Giving a small smile, the third year student nodded in understanding. "I see. Well Midori, I want you to know that if you need anything, anything at all…" she reached out and placed a gentle gloved hand on his shoulder. "You can come to me with it. Okay?"

Izuku felt a smile tug at the corner of his mouth, nodding in appreciation. "Okay… I will. Thank you, Koto-san. I-it's really nice to see you..." Despite the fact that Makoto was a girl, she was the only one he had been comfortable talking to when they were younger. Even after so much time, he still felt comfortable talking to her, now.

Nodding, Makoto gave a small smile before turning to take her leave. As she got further down the hall, Izuku decided to head up to the roof. "Oh, before I forget…" Makoto spoke up, causing the green-haired teen to pause and look back. "I know things between me and him were… strained at the end, but… how is Baka-chan doing?"

Izuku would have laughed after remembering her derogatory nickname for Bakugou. But the news he had to give her wasn't very good. He scratched the back of his head and sighed.

"Kacchan… he was really hurt when you left. He started to act like a real bully again. Not the same way as before, but he… just seemed to always be mad."

Makoto frowned after hearing this, casting her eyes to the floor in remorse. "... I see… thank you for telling me that." With that, Makoto departed. The news didn't seem to sit too well with her, but there was nothing to do about it.

Kacchan was probably going to U.A., anyways. They both wouldn't see him for a long time if at all. Though Izuku guessed they would see him in the news some day as the next big hero.

* * *

Izuku slowly opened the door to the rooftop, hoping that Ryuji really was the only person there. When he saw the spiky haired blond, he relaxed a little and walked in, closing the door behind him as he did so.

"H-hey, Sakamoto-senpai." Glancing around, he saw that the roof was fairly plain as well. There was a tall safety fence on the outer edge of the wall, likely to keep students and whoever else from sitting on the edge. One thing that stood out was a small garden box in the corner, filled with greens and freshly watered soil.

"Hey, Midoriya. Sorry to have you come here at the last sec," Ryuji nodded. He was sitting by a stack of classroom desks and chairs, sitting in one of the free chairs. "Though, I'm kinda shocked. I didn't think you'd be all cozy with the student council prez."

"A-a-ah! W-well you s-see we us-used to be old friends from-" Izuku began to timidly explain, hoping that Ryuji wouldn't get the wrong idea about them.

"W-whoa, slow down, dude. It's fine," Ryuji assured, waving a hand in the air. "I just thought it was funny. She's such a prim and proper kinda chick, and you're the kid with the criminal record, right?"

Izuku frowned at the mention of **that** again.

 _I shouldn't be surprised he knows, too… everyone seems to know._ He thought to himself, gripping his hand in frustration.

"S-so the whole school knows now, huh?"

Ryuji frowned, "I'm sorry, man. I didn't mean to get you down like that. I-If it helps, I kinda thought it makes you look cooler?" Ryuji suggested with an awkward chuckle. Seeing that Izuku was still downcast, the faux blond sighed and shook his head. "Sorry about that…"

"I-it's fine… it's certainly not the worst thing to happen to me today, right?" Izuku laughed weakly, trying to brush it off. He would never be able to get rid of the thought entirely, but it helped if he could focus on another subject. Especially when it was something that had given him powers, if only for a short while.

"Yeah, that's definitely true…" Ryuji nodded, leaning forward on his knees. "B-but damn, all that shit was so crazy… with Kamoshida, that castle and the cat… are we sure it wasn't just a dream?"

Izuku's expression hardened seriously, shaking his head. "I-it's safe to say that everything we saw was real, Sakamoto-senpai. As hard as it is to believe, we entered a world based on cognition."

"Man, you say that, but that shit only confuses me more…" Ryuji grumbled, scratching the top of his head. "I mean-it all felt so real, no doubt, but… I dunno… do you think that Heroes have to put up with this kinda shit?"

Izuku gave it some thought, holding his chin. "It's not impossible that some Heroes might know about it… but it's not likely many people do know of it, as well," looking back up at Ryuji, another question popped in his mind: "About that, have you seen Kamoshida-sensei? He was definitely unaware of what happened."

"Y-yeah, I saw him today. That bastard…" Ryuji spat in irritation. "Waved and said hi like nothin', too. That bastard should know exactly what happened in that castle, right?"

Izuku took a moment to think this over again before shaking his head. "No, not necessarily. If what Morgana-san was saying is true, then even though it's the darkest part of his heart, it's still not technically him." Izuku explained as he looked back up at Ryuji. "That's fortunate, honestly, as it means he won't be looking at us for anything that happened in the castle."

"R-right… I think I get it…" Ryuji hesitantly answered. Even though Izuku seemed to be able understand all of what happened rather easily, he was still trying to play catch up. "Speaking of that jerk, the way he acted in that damn place made way too much sense. You said that's how the bastard views the school, right?"

"Th-that's right. Kamoshida-sensei truly thinks he is the ruler of this school. I still don't really know much about him, but based on what we saw there's no denying it." Izuku confirmed for him, Ryuji biting his bottom lip in frustration.

"That arrogant prick. He thinks he's some big shot just because he got a medal and took the volleyball team to nationals." Ryuji huffed in irritation. "But he treats his players like shit! No one's willin' to say a damn thing about it, though!"

Izuku could only remain silent. Aside from the brief encounter with the real one and the very excruciating encounter in the world of cognition, he couldn't judge what actions that Kamoshida might have been like before.

After taking a moment to cool off, Ryuji leaned forward and became more thoughtful rather than angry. "Do you… think we might be able to go back to that world somehow?"

Izuku's thoughts immediately went to the phone app. It had announced itself when they first left like it knew where they had gone. It certainly was the biggest possibility. "I think we might, but… it'd be dangerous… but I do want to learn more about that place..."

"Yeah…" Ryuji nodded, leaning back in his chair again and kicking his foot up over his knee. "But anyway… regardless of real or not, you really saved my ass in there. Twice I think it was." He smiled, giving a genuinely appreciative grin. "Thanks for all that, man."

Izuku blinked in surprise after hearing that before offering a kind smile of his own. "Of course. Thank you for sticking up for me the first time, too."

"What little good that did. That power you pulled out really saved our asses, though." Ryuji chuckled, thinking back the large being that came from Izuku. "Do you think that you can still summon it? Maybe sort of like a Quirk."

Izuku blinked, having not thought of that possibility. It wouldn't be outlandish to think that he might be able to after the day they had. Trying to focus on Carter now, Izuku tried to will him into existence, closing his eyes. He didn't feel any change nor could he hear the Persona's voice again.

With a sigh, Izuku shook his head. "I don't think so… it must only be in that world that it's possible."

"Well, that's a bummer. Woulda been pretty damn cool to tote that around as your Quirk." Ryuji shrugged, not thinking too much of it. Standing up from his seat, Ryuji stretched out. "Well, that's really all I had to say about it. Sorry if I wasted your time."

"N-no, it's alright! Really! I-I wanted to talk about what happened, as well. After all that, I don't think we can just brush it off as a dream…"

"Yeah, I guess you got a point on that one," Ryuji nodded in agreement before giving a small grin. "But hey, after all the shit we've been through in one day, I think I like you. You're pretty damn gutsy for a kid who acts so meek."

He chuckled, Izuku laughing sheepishly in response. "From now on, if you don't mind, we can be partners in crime. Everyone looks down on us anyway, so we might as well become troublemaking pals, right?"

While Izuku wasn't one to really cause trouble, he understood what Ryuji was saying.

"I-I'd really appreciate that, Sakamoto-senpai."

"Alright, alright. Enough with the senpai stuff," Ryuji chuckled, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "You can call me Ryuji from now on. If you don't mind, I'll call ya Izuku. There's no need to act all formal if we're gonna be pals."

This notion seemed to throw Izuku in a strange place. It had been a long time since he had actually called someone by their full first name. "S-s-sure! I-I can tr-try and do that! R-Ryuji-senpai! I-I mean-"

"Whoa man, no need to bust a vein over it. Take your time," Ryuji replied waving a hand dismissively. "Anyway, I'm gonna head back. I'm pretty sure you're worse off, but I'm tired as hell. You should get goin' too."

Izuku wouldn't argue with that. He felt like he could sleep for a week after escaping that place, not to mention how tired he felt mentally after first summoning his Persona and his trying day at school. It would be a long ride home on the train.

"A-alright then. I'll see you later, Saka-a-I mean-uh R-Ryuji-senpa-er-"

"Dude, seriously. Take your time with it."

* * *

After a long trip on the train spent forcing himself to stay awake, Izuku finally arrived at Leblanc, gulping in fear of what his current guardian might say. He may have been exhausted physically, mentally and emotionally, but the thought of the scolding he was about to receive left him wide awake e. With bated breath, Izuku pushed the door open and walked inside.

The store was empty except for Sojiro, which meant that Izuku wasn't going to be spared the earful he expected to hear. The glare that Sojiro gave him the moment their eyes met didn't help either.

"So I got an interesting call from your school today," Sojiro skipped the niceties and crossed his arms. "Care to explain what happened?"

"I-I'm sorry, Sakura-san! I-I got lost on the way to school…" Izuku lied again, unable to come up with anything better. He was a bad liar to begin with. Sojiro was able to pick that up pretty quick.

"Convenient story to have. Just because you're in a new town doesn't mean you can just 'get lost' so easily," Sojiro huffed, shaking his head. "Look, you understand what it means to be on probation, right? You mess up, and your life is over. I'm not gonna lord over you and make you be some model student, but do enough that you get through the year, at least."

"Y-yes, Sakura-san. Sorry for causing you trouble…" Izuku apologized again. His guardian was tempted to lay into him a bit more, but found Izuku's expression disarming.

"Alright, I think that's enough suffering for you. Go on up and get some rest," Sojiro ordered, picking up the remote to the television and turning it off. Even if running through Kamoshida's Palace left him starving, Izuku found the prospect of sleep far more appealing. He moved forward to climb the stairs before stopping at the foot of staircase and glancing back at Soijro. The shopkeep raised a brow, leaning against the bar. "What's up?"

"Sakura-san…" Izuku began, biting the inside of his cheek. "How… easy is it to leak someone's criminal record?"

Sojiro raised a brow at this, "What are you-" Before he could continue, his phone rang in his pocket. Sojiro pulled it out and answered.

"Ah, sorry I'm running late. I'll be there soon, okay? ... Yeah I know, the usual, right?" He looked back at the stairs, only to find that Izuku had already started to head up. Something was obviously eating at the green-haired teen and Sojiro couldn't help but feel a bit bothered about it.

 _I hope that kid's not getting into some real trouble._

* * *

Izuku wasn't surprised when he found himself waking up in a familiar cell. After the day he had, he expected the dream to come back with a vengeance. Sitting up on his bunk, Izuku rubbed his face. Despite the fact that this place was supposedly between dreams and reality, he certainly still felt tired.

"On your feet, inmate! Our master wishes to speak to you!" Caroline snapped, smacking her baton against the bars of his cell. Izuku didn't try to argue, only standing from the bench before walking up to the bars.

"It would be wise to listen carefully to what our master has to say," Justine suggested, her expression unchanging.

"So I guess this dream isn't a joke then," Izuku admitted, glancing around the cell before looking at Igor. "Wh-what do you want from me?"

"We have said it before, have we not? To rehabilitate you," Igor vaguely explained, chuckling darkly in amusement. "I see that you have finally awakened to your powers. Now we can truly begin the process of rehabilitation."

"What does my Persona and the cognitive world have to do with all of this?" Izuku asked, hands gripping the bars. "Why am I supposedly destined for ruin?!"

"There is no need for you to understand everything just yet." Igor chuckled again, causing Izuku to slump against the bars in frustration. "Just know that you will now be training in the use of your Personas. Consider them a 'mask', one to protect your heart like armor from worldly threats. I have high expectations for you."

"E-expectations? For what?" Izuku asked again, though feared what Igor might answer with.

"There is no need to worry. You will know in due time."

He was expecting such a vague answer.

"Ah, while we're on such matters, are you appreciating the Metaverse Navigator?" Igor asked. "Using it allows you to traverse from your world to the Palaces, or the cognitive world, as you have aptly described it."

Izuku thought it over for a moment before understanding. "So the app on my phone is how to get to that world. Though I didn't realize it was you who gave it to me." Izuku immediately understood.

"At least you're quick on the uptake, inmate. Try and keep that up so we don't have to repeat ourselves!" Caroline scoffed, crossing her arms as she regarded the 'prisoner'.

"You are correct. I have provided it for you so that you may train your abilities as a thief," Igor explained, the word 'thief' caught Izuku's attention.

"Appreciate what is given to you, inmate! And put it to good use!" Caroline ordered, Izuku glancing at her in question.

"W-wait, a thief? B-but aren't you trying to rehabilitate me for-"

"We are here to ensure that you become a good thief. That is the main purpose of your rehabilitation," Justine explained this time, her words serving to confuse Izuku only more.

"To travel through the Metaverse alone can be quite weary, which is why should you find others who might be of use to you, I will also grant them this Navigator," Igor went on to explain.

"S-so wait, other people can get Personas aside from me and Morgana-san?" Izuku inquired further. It was easy enough for him to guess, but he wanted to hear it for himself.

"I suppose you shall find out soon enough."

 _Of course, he had to answer in the most cryptic way possible_.

Izuku was a patient person, but even he had to face fault at that.

"Straighten out that face of yours, inmate!" Caroline snapped, smacking her baton against the bars again and making Izuku jump. "It's time for you to head back, so enjoy your free time!"

Izuku wanted to ask more questions, but given how Igor was dodging everything he was asked, it didn't seem to matter. Wordlessly, he returned to the bunk and laid down, immediately falling back to sleep.

Only to wake up and start another the school day. Sitting up in his bed, Izuku knew that it was inevitable. Even with Igor and the twins telling him to do so, Izuku wanted to return to that world as well. He wanted answers. He wanted to know all about these powers that he had. But there was one thing he wanted to know above all else:

 _Can I use my Persona to help people?_

* * *

Classes had come and gone for Izuku. Unlike the day before, he made sure to be on time. The classes were easy enough at this point, so he didn't have to take many notes.

Instead his mind was occupied with returning to that world. Even as he continued to hear the whispers meandering through his classes and the hallways, Izuku dismissed them entirely.

He was on a mission; and once school was over, he could officially begin. It helped that the place he needed to go was already available to him. He wouldn't have to worry about finding his way back. If the app were to take him directly to the palace like before, then all he would need to do is activate it in a safe location.

 _The school gate should work perfectly._

"Hey there, Takamaki!" Izuku blinked as he heard that familiar voice, stopping in his stride down the stairs. Ahead of him on the second floor, he could see the platinum blonde he had briefly talked to the day before. And, whom he'd easily heard before, came Kamoshida.

"You headed home? Let me give you a ride. With all those accidents going on, you'd be safer hitching a ride with me," The coach suggested in a kind voice. To Izuku though, his voice still seemed to ring in his ear with that condescending tone of a pompous 'king'.

"Um… no, thanks. I actually have to go to a photoshoot. It's for the summer magazine special, so I can't miss it," Takamaki, as Izuku easily guessed, deflected his offer, though she looked a bit tired. Or maybe she was forcing herself to talk to him.

Kamoshida seemed to be off-put by her rejection, his face straining for a moment with annoyance. He was able to contort this into a look of concern, instead. "Hey, now. Don't work yourself too hard, okay? You haven't been feeling well after all, right?"

"Y-yeah. I want to go see a doctor about it, but I've just been… busy. Juggling school and work has kinda distracted me…" Takamaki answered. As far as Izuku could tell, Takamaki was doing her best to avoid direct eye contact. "Sorry to worry you…"

"I'm sure you've also been lonely. I feel bad about keeping Suzui at practice all day. That's why I asked you out in the first place, after all."

Izuku couldn't stop his eyes from widening. A teacher dating a student? And Kamoshida of all people? If everything that he learned the previous day was to be believed, Kamoshida was definitely no charity case. It wouldn't be a surprise to the green-haired teen if it was for something far more lecherous.

"Oh, and a word of warning to you. Careful around the new transfer student. He's got a criminal record, after all."

 _Wait… I-it was Kamoshida-sensei who…_ Biting his bottom lip, Izuku felt confusion and anger well up inside of him. What had he done to warrant that? Did Kamoshida know that they had gone to his 'castle'? Or could it have been that he was just that petty?

"Hey," Izuku was pulled from his thoughts when he realized that Kamoshida was now glaring at him through narrowed eyes, the teen gulping in fear. He hadn't realized that the two had finished talking, and Kamoshida had now found him eavesdropping. "Do you have a problem?"

Izuku took a moment to find his voice, grinding his teeth for a moment before glaring back, despite the sweat and shaking he did. "D-did you… did you tell people about my record...?" Izuku forced himself to say, despite his fear.

Kamoshida merely raised a brow before offering a dumb look and shrugging. "Now, why would I do that? What kind of irresponsible teacher would that make me?" he asked, his tone conveying no small amount of amusement.

There was no denying it, now. Kamoshida was the one who did it. A teacher had outed him for no reason at all. It was clear he couldn't remember a thing about the castle. But even so, he was still a rotten person.

Seeing that Izuku wasn't going to say more, Kamoshida scoffed and began walking up the stairs. He clamped down hard on Izuku's shoulder, causing the teen to instinctively pull away from the teacher.

"Try not to cause any trouble, got it? Or else I'll toss your ass out of this school myself," Kamoshida chuckled before letting him go and continuing up the stairs.

Izuku felt his frustration bubbling up again, gripping the strap of his school bag. What reason could a teacher have for wanting to ruin a student's school life? It made no sense. No matter how much Izuku thought about it, Kamoshida had no reason to do such a thing to him.

He shook his head. There was no use thinking about it now. If he was going to go through with his plan, Izuku knew he might find some answers there. "There's nothing left to do… but go…"

With his resolve strengthened, Izuku inhaled a heavy breath and released, stepping down the steps and heading for the front gate. Pulling his phone out, Izuku opened the app, preparing to depart for the world of cognition.

 _I hope Morgana-san is there to help me out…_

"Yo." Izuku was pulled from his thoughts when he heard that voice, glancing up from his phone to see Ryuji hanging out by the gate.

"A-ah, Saka-I-I mean uh-Ry-Ryuji-senpai!"

"Eh, close enough," Ryuji shrugged before offering a grin. "You looked like a man on a mission, though. Plannin' to head to the other world?"

Izuku blinked, surprised that Ryuji was able to pick up on his intentions. Hardening his brow, Izuku nodded. "Yeah. I want to learn more about my powers. I want to know if… if I can use them for something better. At the same time, I also want to learn about that castle and Kamoshida-sensei…"

"Same here. Well, on the second part, at least," Ryuji declared, nodding in agreement. "Just thinkin' about all that shit we saw inside of Kamoshida's head pisses me off. I wanna know more about it."

Izuku frowned in concern, turning to Ryuji. "Ry-Ryuji-senpai… if you go, it could be very dangerous. I-I'll do what I can to protect you, b-but the risks are still very high."

"I know. I hate that I can't do much to help ya, but I need to know about what's going on with that bastard. If it helps, I also brought a few things that could help you out, at least," Ryuji explained, shaking his school bag. It looked a bit fatter than the day before.

"R-Ryuji-senpai… why do you hate Kamoshida-sensei so much?" Izuku couldn't help but ask. He didn't want to be nosy, but Ryuji's disdain for the teacher was stronger than he first realized. The faux blond glanced at Izuku and bit his lip, struggling to come straight out and admit his reason.

"Look… I owe you a lot, man. And I'll tell ya sometime, just… after we go to the castle, okay?" Ryuji reasoned with Izuku. Seeing how personal this was for Ryuji, Izuku nodded in understanding.

"I-I won't push you to tell me if you don't want, Ryuji-senpai."

"Nah, after everything, I gotta tell you, I feel. Just once we're done with that place, mkay?" Ryuji smiled, appreciative of Izuku's understanding. "So let's get going. I think we should go around the same place we came through last time, from the-"

"A-actually, I think I figured out how to take us there." Izuku informed him, stopping Ryuji in his tracks. Pulling up his phone, he showed the blond the app of the black and red eye design. "Yesterday, this app was open on my phone. When we had gotten out of that place, it announced to us that we had 'returned to the real world', remember?"

"O-oh, yeah! You're right!" Ryuji nodded, remembering his outburst the moment they had gotten back. "That thing did say that! So, you think it can get us back to that castle?"

"Let me see…" Izuku muttered, opening the app. From what he could tell, it was a navigation app, mapping out the surrounding area in a red format. Looking through the search history, there was a list of words in one input. Kamoshida was among them, as well as castle, pervert, and Shujin. "I think this is it. I'm going to press the button. Once I do, I think that it'll send us there, Ryuji-senpai."

"Alright, I'm ready! Take us in!" Ryuji nodded with determination, bending his knees like he was preparing for a fight. Izuku nodded, quickly pressing the information that was previously used.

" _Kamoshida… Shujin Academy… Pervert… Castle…"_ The app started to list off before pinging. _"Beginning navigation."_

"Here we go…" Ryuji breathed out, most likely trying to calm his nerves. The air shimmered and fluxed around them, the two gazing around their surroundings before the world started to shift=. Glancing up at the school, Izuku and Ryuji saw the building melt away and be replaced by the familiar castle from before.

"D-damn… it worked alright…" Ryuji muttered, in somewhat of his own disbelief. "Part of me still thought it was some sorta dream, but… guess there's no denying it now."

"W-we should be careful… We don't want to get overwhelmed by the shadows like last time, Ryuji-senpa," Izuku suggested. "We should find-"

"H-hey! Your clothes changed again!" Ryuji pointed out, causing Izuku to blink. Looking down, he confirmed the punk's words, his clothes had transformed into the outfit from

the day before. "Wh-what the hell do you think that's about?!"

"I-I'm not sure, but… this at least means I'll be able to fight with my Persona," Izuku mumbled, glancing over his outfit before looking back up at the castle. "A-anyway, we should get going before-"

"Hey, you two," Looking down, they were met with a familiar large headed cat, Morgana. "I knew you'd come back. So, here for some answers?"

 **To be continued…**

 **Thanks as always to my beta reppuzan for taking the time to go over the older chapters and making them look pretty!**

 **Aaaand that's the chapter! I hope you all liked it! It was funny, one of the things I struggled most with in the chapter was figuring out what nickname Izuku would have for Makoto back when they were kids XD certainly, their relationship will be fun to explore over time. As well as her past with a certain hot head.**

 **Before I go, I want to clear up some confusion for the readers on Izuku's Persona: it is based off of John Carter of Mars. A friend and I discussed it and noticed that pulp heroes were available for use after seeing Zorro possessed by Morgana, and decided to run with that. I think it was a smart decision as I liked the overall design :)**

 **Also, from a suggestion by another reader, I will post Carter's affinities for the readers to see:**

 **Physical: Neutral**

 **Gunfire: Neutral**

 **Fire: Resistant**

 **Ice: Weak**

 **Wind: Neutral**

 **Electricity: Neutral**

 **Nuclear: Neutral**

 **Psycho-kinetic: Neutral**

 **Bless: Null**

 **Curse: Resistant**

 **This will only be posted if and when a new Persona is created for the story. Hope that helps paint a picture for you guys to his capabilities!**

 **Alright, that's the chapter! Hope you all enjoyed, please leave a follow, a favorite and a review if you'd be so kind~!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I own neither Persona 5 or My Hero Academia**

Chapter 6

Morgana scouted out the previous room that Izuku and Ryuji had used for their escape, the cat humming as he waved back. "Come on, the coast is clear!" He called out before skipping through the large vent to the inside room. "It seems like this room is seldom patrolled by the Shadows. I've used it several times for in and out reconnaissance." the cat explained, turning back and watching as Izuku and Ryuji dropped to the ground on their feet. "I figured you guys would come back, but I didn't think so soon. You did narrowly escape death the last time you were here."

"Call us curious, I guess. There's still more I wanna know about this place." Ryuji shrugged, dusting off his blazer as he stepped up to the cat.

"I've got questions of my own I want to answer, too. There's so much I'm curious about when it comes to this place as well as what we can learn about Kamoshida-sensei from it." Izuku hummed in thought, crossing his arms as he walked up to the cat. "But before that, have you been able to obtain your original objective? You never told us what it was."

"Well, that's actually… pretty complicated." Morgana admitted, looking to the side to hide his embarrassment. "So far, my infiltration of the palace hasn't been going well…"

"What exactly are you lookin' for anyway? I mean, aside from gettin' locked up by Kamoshida, you really don't have much of a reason to be pickin' a fight with him, right?" Ryuji asked curiously, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"While I might be pissed off at that pervert for imprisoning me, I had my own reasons for coming to this place." Morgana explained, placing his small paws on his hips. "There's something within this palace that may hold the key to my memories."

"Memories?" Izuku repeated in surprise. "D-do you have amnesia, Morgana-san?"

"S-something like that…" Morgana grumbled, one eye squinting as he struggled to find the right way to explain. "You could say I remember certain… details from my past such as what the palaces are and the details regarding the palace rulers, but… nothing about my past as a human."

"Still not sure whether this is your Quirk either, huh?" Ryuji hummed, the cat hissing in annoyance.

"I told you, this isn't related to a Quirk! It's…." Morgana bit his bottom lip, looking away for a moment. "I-I don't know… but I know for sure that it's not my real form! I'm a human, through and through! I'm sure…"

"You don't sound very sure, saying it like that." Ryuji scoffed, his indifference causing Morgana to groan in irritation.

"J-just shut up! An idiot wouldn't know about any of this!" Morgana snapped, turning his back to the faux blond and crossing his paws.

"What did you say?!" Ryuji huffed in irritation, apparently willing to start a fight with the small cat. Seeing enough, Izuku sheepishly waved his arms as he got in between the two.

"C-come on, R-Ryuji-sempai! W-we came here to get answers, not to fight. Didn't we?" Izuku reasoned, hoping to play peacemaker well enough between the two to calm them down.

" **AAAAARGH!** "

A piercing scream echoed through the air, immediately drawing Izuku and Ryuji's attention to the door leading further inside the castle. "H-holy shit, that was real…"

"It's just some of the cognitive slaves. Just ignore it." Morgana sighed, turning back to the two again. "It's like this all day. Though Kamoshida seemed especially ticked off after you two escaped. He's probably taking out a lot of frustration on the slaves."

"M-man… knowing that they're not real helps make things easier, but it's still creepy as hell to just hear screaming like that…" Ryuji muttered, scratching his head awkwardly before turning to Izuku. "I-imagine if those were actual people. Kamoshida wouldn't be able to get away with that kinda shit, right?"

Izuku didn't answer immediately, the scream still echoing in his ears. But a thought occurred to him. One that made him pale just at the prospect of the idea. His eyes slowly widened as he trembled slightly, but didn't completely break yet. "M-Morgana-san…"

"Yeah?" The cat spoke up, noticing his discomfort.

"This entire place… it's a creation of Kamoshida's cognition, r-right? I-it's basically displacing his thoughts and feelings on the school… which also includes the students… right?" Izuku further implored, Morgana nodding in confirmation as the small mouth of the cat seemed to frown further.

"Wh-what's that mean, though? Why are you all shaky, dude?" Ryuji asked, still unable to fully process exactly what Izuku was getting at.

"Thi-this is just a theory, Ryuji-sempai, but…" Izuku began to mutter, sweat trailing down his brow. He was hesitant to even say, not only because of how Ryuji might react, but also because of how uncomfortable the thought was making him. "... Th-then… whatever the Kamoshida of this world is doing to them… it may not be as far off from what the real world version does to students as you think…"

Ryuji blinked, needing a moment to process what he meant. "W-wait… s-so the slaves and the people we saw, they all represent exactly how he sees students? J-just as effin' slaves that he likes to pound on for amusement?!" Ryuji gripped his hands as he shook with frustration before finally letting out a cry of anger. " **Rargh!** That friggin' asshole!"

"Hey, keep quiet!" Morgana snapped, hopping up and down. "Just because they don't come in here often doesn't mean they won't if you make a ruckus!"

"S-sorry, I just-argh!" Ryuji grunted, making Izuku flinch with the volume of his voice. He took a moment to calm down, breathing deeply as he tried to calm at least somewhat after seeing how Izuku reacted. "Sorry… I knew that he was a complete asshole, but… having it confirmed to me just makes me want to kick his ass even more."

"I have to say, curly hair. I'm almost blown away by how sharp you are…" Morgana said with a bit of awe in his voice. "It's obvious that this Kamoshida guy is a total piece of garbage. But I'm surprised that you're accepting of what he might be capable of considering he probably hides it well. Of course, seeing all this, perhaps it's a lot easier than I think."

"W-well… normally, I'd like to believe someone who's a teacher might not be capable of all of this, but…" Izuku hesitated for a moment, biting his bottom lip before sighing, turning to look at Ryuji. "Kamoshida-sensei… he's the one who leaked my criminal record to the rest of the school…"

"W-wait, what?!" Ryuji blinked in shock, his previous rage having simmered over. "I-I mean, I definitely wouldn't put it past the bastard to do something so slimy, but why?! You literally just got to this damn school! He shouldn't have a reason for singling you out like that."

"That's what I've been trying to figure out…" Izuku muttered before glancing around the room. "But perhaps… with his cognition this distorted, he just doesn't like to have something, or someone, outside of his control… He most likely just wants me to get kicked out or leave the school on my own… I-it probably makes him feel like I would distract people from all of his accomplishments…"

"Th-that's the most retarded thing I've ever heard! Damn it, I'm seriously just getting pssed off the more we talk about this!" Ryuji snapped again, raking through his faux blond hair in frustration. "He just makes it his damn mission to go out of his way to eff up someone's life for his own dumbass reasons!"

"R-Ryuji-sempai…" Izuku swallowed. It was obvious that Ryuji wasn't mad over just what happened to Izuku. He had to hold back his previous question as to what Kamoshida had done to the punk. It was obvious Ryuji had a problem saying it outright, and pressing the subject probably wouldn't do him any good. Instead, Izuku shifted his gaze to Morgana, biting his bottom lip. "M-Morgana-san… this place… because it's based on cognition, will altering it in some way affect Kamoshida-sensei?"

Morgana's ears seemed to perk up at this question, eyes widening slightly. "Okay, you're kind of scaring me with how insightful you are about how this place works, curly hair…" Morgana admitted before coughing into his paw. "B-but yes, it is indeed possible to make a change to someone's cognition by messing with this palace. Although it's nothing as simple as messing with the palace ruler or this castle directly. It takes quite a bit more than that…"

"W-wait, I don't get it. What's going on?" Ryuji asked, seemingly calmed down somewhat after his outburst. "You wanna see if you can change Kamoshida?"

"N-no, not particularly. I-I mean, it would probably be for the best, but I'm more curious as to how and if it's possible." Izuku admitted, holding his chin in thought. "Considering this place is based on Kamoshida-sensei's perception, it makes sense that you can change things in him by making adjustments to this world… though that is a dangerous idea all on it's own, even with the best intentions…"

"What do you mean?" Ryuji asked, hoping Izuku might be able to make it more understandable for him.

The green haired teen took a moment to think of the best way to put it. "S-so, say we wanted to make him change for the good… but we messed something up here, and instead, it makes him… even worse." Izuku explained as easily as possible, causing Ryuji to blink. "I-if we do something wrong, someone could get seriously hurt… though from what it looks like, others already are…"

"Oh… I get what you mean…" Ryuji nodded, able to get a gist of what Izuku was saying at least. "Damn it. I was hoping that we could do something by coming here… something to help us get at that asshole, at least…"

"Like I said, it's possible. But it definitely won't be easy." Morgana declared, turning their attention back to him. "As you guys are now, even with curly hair's power, you guys wouldn't be able to get far with that. So I think you should probably give up on that idea for now."

Izuku and Ryuji glanced at one another with a bit of disappointment before sighing, resigning from the idea of making a change in Kamoshida. Izuku would have felt odd about doing such either way, though. While Kamoshida deserved to be punished, what changes they would make would definitely be considered a crime of sorts. Vigilantism for one, among a slew of other things to consider. Though he doubted that even registered heroes would be able to use such a world.

"Is there really nothin' we can do, then..?" Ryuji muttered, a frown deepening on his features. Izuku bit his bottom lip, trying to find an alternative. This world was obvious proof of Kamoshida's true nature. He was a scumbag who prayed on his students for his own selfish motives. The problem was that they couldn't necessarily prove it to anyone unless they brought them here. The only ones who must have known were the teams he coached, those who were victims of the apparent abuse.

 _The abuse victims…_ Izuku suddenly had an idea, a figurative light bulb lighting up above his head before turning to Morgana again. "Morgana-san, if the prisoners here are based on his cognition of students, d-does that mean they might actually be recognizable people from the real world?"

"If Kamoshida knows them personally in some way, then yes. The cognitive creations should be pretty accurate, depending on how he sees those people." Morgana confirmed for them, his words bringing determination back to Izuku.

"Th-then maybe we can stop him, Ryuji-sempai…" Izuku reasoned, turning back to the faux blond. "P-perhaps we can see exactly who he's torturing further in the dungeon. With that, we might be able to get an idea of who knows what's going on. I-if we get enough students to come forward, th-then maybe… maybe we can get him kicked out of the school, or even arrested."

Ryuji's eyes seemed to light up as Izuku spoke, a grin starting to spread across his face. "Oh, dude, you're an effin' genius! That's a great idea! As long as we can get people to admit what that asshole is doin' to 'em, we'll have that bastard by the balls!"

"It's a good thing this guy's around to do the planning for you. I can't imagine how hopeless you'd be without him." Morgana chuckled teasingly, his words almost shattering Ryuji's change in mood. "But if you guys are really set on doing this, I'm guessing you'll need my help."

"Y-yes, Morgana-san. I-if you could help us find our way through the dungeon, that'd be a great help!" Izuku nodded, gripping his hand in determination. "We need to put a stop to what Kamoshida-sensei is doing… I-if he's really hurting people, someone needs to help them."

"Spoken like a true hero, huh?" Ryuji chuckled, nudging Izuku with his elbow. The green haired teen only chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Heh, can't say I don't like your spunk. Alright, I'll help you guys out. But if I do, you guys are going to help me with what I'm trying to do here." Morgana declared, crossing his arms as a small grin spread across his face. "I might be quite generous, but even I have to get some compensation for all this work."

Ryuji and Izuku looked at one another, the faux blond shrugging noncommittally. Turning back to Morgana, Izuku nodded. "All right, that's fair. If you help us with this, I promise to help you with your own goal."

Morgana gave a wider cat grin and laughed triumphantly. "All right! Looks like we have a deal! So don't try and back out of it later, got it?" looking up in thought, Morgana hummed. "Oh, but I don't think I ever got your name, curly hair."

"O-oh, I'm sorry. I-it's Izuku Midoriya." the timid teen said, formally introducing himself. With all the excitement that had occurred the day before, Izuku had completely forgotten to give a proper introduction.

"Alright then, Midoriya. You and blondie follow me. We're going to head back to the dungeon. Give me a sec while I make sure the our path is still open." Morgana nodded before dashing off toward the door and peeking out.

"You really gonna help him do what he's going for?" Ryuji asked curiously, his voice in a whisper. "I mean-I don't mind helpin' out too much, it's just that I don't know how helpful I can be. Or what that crazy cat is trying to get us into."

"I-it's alright, Ryuji-sempai. For now, let's just focus on finding the slaves and see what we can do with that." Izuku reasoned, the faux blond giving a nod in response.

"Okay, we're good. Let's go!" Morgana waved for them to follow at the door, opening it wider for them. Izuku and Ryuji nodded in acceptance before quickly dashing after him. The three started to sprint down the hall, once again going through the grand entrance they had previously been captured in. As they passed through this time though, Ryuji and Izuku skidded to a stop when the scenery shimmered, shifting to the image of the school entrance.

"Wh-whoa?! What the hell just happened?!" Ryuji barked out in shock, looking around to see if his eyes were playing a trick on him.

"Remember, while this is the world of cognition, this is still technically your school. The image will dissipate at times, though most usually places where the distortion is weakest." Morgana explained for them, Izuku furrowing his brow in thought.

"I-I knew that this was technically the school, but it's strange to really think that the world is basically right on top of the other, unnoticed and almost non-existent…" Izuku mumbled to himself, holding his chin as his eyes fell to the ground.

"Hey, enough dawdling, you two. We don't want to get stopped by Shadows before we even get to the dungeon." Morgana snapped at them both, pulling attention back to him.

"A-ah, s-sorry Morgana-san! L-let's go!" Izuku nodded, catching up with Morgana quickly as he could.

"H-hey, don't leave me behind!" Ryuji called out, dashing after them. They quickly found their way back to the dungeon, trekking down the stone steps leading to the lower level.

As they approached the bottom, Morgana suddenly held up his paw, halting the two before they could go any further. "Wait. Shadow ahead…" Morgana whispered back, motioning forward with his paw. Seeing past the steel bar door, Izuku and Ryuji quickly confirmed his words, both hiding against the bars while the guard strode back and forth on the stone path.

"I figured they would have guards down here, too…" Morgana sighed in disappointment before looking at Izuku. "Alright, rookie. It's time I taught you both how to be phantom thieves. We'll start with ambushes…"

"Phantom thieves? What, did you make that up because you thought it sounded cool or something?" Ryuji deadpanned, earning an annoyed glare from Morgana.

"Geez, are you really that ignorant?! A phantom thief is an old term!" Morgana snapped back.

"M-Morgana-san is right, Ryuji-sempai... a phantom thief refers to something like a gentlemen thief who doesn't steal for riches but usually ulterior motives..." Izuku explained further, causing Ryuji to blink.

"I-I knew that, I was just makin' fun of him!" Ryuji defended lamely, his retort obviously a half assed lie.

"Whatever, both of you shut up and listen!" Morgana whisper shouted in frustration.

Morgana sighed, turning his attention back to the enemy ahead of them. "Alright, so to ambush a Shadow, you need to jump on it's back and rip off the mask. Doing so will stun the Shadow and allow us to take the enemies that come out by surprise. It will give us a great advantage when getting into fights. Considering the amount of guards walking around, it's best to strike from behind as much as possible."

"U-understood… though I didn't realize we could rip off the masks like that…" Izuku hummed quietly, trying to find the best way to use this to his advantage in the future.

"O-oh, before you guys fight, I've got somethin' for you to use!" Ryuji whispered, pulling his book back up front and rummaging through it. "Tada~!" He whispered loudly, pulling out what looked like a real gun at first glance and caused his two companions to do a double take. It was a large revolver model, though the gun chamber stuck out largely at the top, most likely a ten round chamber magnum.

"Y-you brought a gun?!" Izuku whispered out in disbelief for a moment before his eyes picked up the details, somewhat calming down. "O-oh, that's a model gun, huh?" He said, breathing out in relief.

"Yeah, there was no way I could get a real one. But I figured that maybe if you have this you can fake out the Shadows with it." Ryuji reasoned with a confident grin. "Pretty good idea, right?"

"That's just a toy!" Morgana retorted, only for Ryuji to shrug.

"It's better than nothin, ain't it?" He held it out to Izuku for him to take, the green haired teen sighing.

"I-it's okay, Ryuji-sempai. I-I don't know if it will work on…" Izuku stopped after a moment as he inspected the gun a bit closer, his eyes shining after a second and taking the revolver in his hand. "W-wai-wait, is this a model gun of Gun Hero Snipe's peacekeeper?!" Izuku blurted out in awe, jaw slack in amazement. While All Might was his all time favorite, he still loved many other heroes.

"I figured you'd like that one. I always thought that guy was pretty cool, too." Ryuji snickered, rubbing his index finger under his nose. "Now you'll look like a total badass when you're holding them up! Even if it doesn't actually hurt them."

"Hey, you two realize we still have an enemy in front of us, right?" Morgana sighed, shaking his head as he brought their attention back forward. "But… hold onto that gun. I have an idea for it you might like."

"An idea?" Izuku blinked in question but did as bid, putting it in the inside jacket pocket.

"Just wait and see. Now, go and rip his mask off! But remember that you have to be quiet about it." Morgana pointed forward at the walking mass of armor. Izuku blinked in disbelief before looking forward and gawking.

"M-me?! Already?! Sh-shouldn't you d-do it first to give me an example?!" Izuku whisper shouted in disbelief, his words causing Morgana to sigh.

"Come on, you're overthinking it. Just jump onto it's shoulders and rip that thing's mask off before it notices. No big deal. It's best to learn through experience, anyways." Morgana waves off nonchalantly, his words providing little in the way of comfort to Izuku. "This is the basic of basics. A rookie should have no problem pulling it off."

Izuku puckered his lips, glancing back at Ryuji for some sort of support. The faux blond could only shrug, unsure what to say or do. Considering that he was honestly able to supply the least to the fight, he wasn't sure there was much he could say to argue against Morgana on the subject.

Looking back at the knight that seemed entirely oblivious of their presence, Izuku gulped and stood to a low crouch, slowly stepping forward. _I-I can't believe I'm doing this! Wh-why couldn't Morgana-san at least do it first?!_ The timid teen took shaky steps slowly after the knight. _O-okay, just latch onto the shoulder armor and launch myself up. I'll have to be careful about balancing once I get on it's shoulders, but as long as I grab it's mask, it shouldn't be too hard to rip it off, I hope…_

The knight suddenly stopped walking, immediately causing Izuku to freeze. It didn't seem to be aware of his presence, but it was nonetheless intimidating. Izuku knew that when the knight paused like this, it was getting ready to turn around. _O-okay, now or never! I-I'll do it!_ Izuku reached up and tightly grabbed the Shadow's shoulder guards. The Shadow's reaction was almost delayed, only starting to look around in confusion after Izuku launched himself up. Izuku then realized though that he felt lighter than normal, having almost no problem when jumping up like he didn't even need to get a hold of the monster's body for momentum. He suddenly found himself clumsily balancing on it's shoulders, arms swinging in the air as he tried to straighten out.

"Wha-who are you?!" The Shadow cried out in shock. Gripping his teeth, Izuku mustered up his courage and reached below, quickly grabbing the blue mask. He felt about the same amount of resistance it took to rip off his mask the first time, minus the pain that accompanied it. With a swift tug, Izuku ripped it off in one motion, sending himself flying backward and falling flat on his back. The black sludge had done as it had before, pouring out from the gap in armor and taking shape as two creatures. This time, they were something different than both things before, small child-like creatures with large flower in place of hair and a ring of leaves around it's neck.

"Talk about amateur and sloppy, but at least you got the job done." Morgana chuckled, jumping to his side with his scimitar at the ready. Reaching back, Izuku found his staff, quickly pushing off the ground and preparing to fight. "Wait a sec, don't fight just yet. Pull the gun out."

Izuku blinked in surprise at his request, quickly shuffling through his jacket pocket and pulling out the model of Snipe's revolver. "O-okay, but I still d-don't know what to do with it…"

"Point it forward at one of the two and pull the trigger! Quick, before they're ready to recover!" Morgana ordered again. Izuku bit his lip and pointed with the toy gun. He wasn't sure what Morgana was pulling with this stunt, but he guessed that he was trying to make them surrender or some-

 ***BANG***

"AGH~!" One of the creatures cried out, Izuku's face going pale as he watched it knock off balance and fall to the ground with a thud. He looked down at the gun before looking back at Ryuji with the same amount of shock, only to find the blond was similarly in a state of awe, both their jaws completely dropped.

" **What?!** " They cried out in unison, sweat starting to bead down their faces, Izuku spastically looking around as if there would be an answer for this somewhere in sight. "I-it shot like a real gun! Wha-how-I-I don't understand!" Izuku cried out in complete confusion.

"Hey, don't drop your guard!" Morgana advised, swiftly pulling out a small slingshot and taking aim at the other Shadow and blasting it with the weapon. The effectiveness seemed to be the same as Izuku's gun, knocking the shadow off it's feet. "Now come on, let's finish them!"

Izuku could only blink in response before gulping and pulling his staff up to his chest. Launching himself in the air, much higher than normal he noted, Izuku brought the staff above his head before slamming it down on the shadow he had knocked down, dispersing it back into the black sludge again. Morgana had done the same, slashing through the Shadow with his scimitar. With that, the fight was over. Izuku took a moment to catch his breath, standing up straight and leaning on his staff.

"You've gotta pay more attention while you're in a fight, even if something surprises you." Morgana advised, placing his paws on his hips but offering an approving look. "But you didn't do too bad, at least."

"B-but what the hell was that?!" Ryuji blurted out, running up to the two now that the enemies were disposed of. "That toy gun shot off like the real deal!"

"Ah, that. You see, because this world is based off cognition, certain elements are affected. Such as with the gun. Even though it's a model gun, it still looks completely real to the Shadows. Because of this, it's perceived as a real weapon which in turn makes it act as a real weapon."

"Th-that's confusin' as shit! I mean-maybe the gun I get, but why does your slingshot work the same, then?! It was just as strong when you hit that Shadow!" Ryuji complained, actually asking a very reasonable question that Izuku had to admit he shared.

Morgana, despite himself, actually looked rather thrown off by the question, swaying a bit uncomfortably. "W-well, I mean… i-it just works that way, okay? It's perceived as a projectile gun a-and has that same effect!" Shaking his head, he turned back to Izuku and placed his paws on his hips. "Something for you to remember is to always be mindful of your ammo. You might be able to shoot it off like a real gun because of the cognition, but that doesn't mean it's got infinite bullets."

"You… totally avoided the question." Ryuji grimaced, narrowing his eyes at the cat, who simply ignored him.

"G-got it… I-I've never held a gun before, but… I-I guess it'll be interesting to see how it works…" Izuku gulped, obviously terrified of the prospect of using a gun that was actually lethal.

"Hey, I think I heard some commotion down there!" The three heard a distorted voice, alert soon filling them again.

"Crap, let's get going! We don't want to fight more than we have to!" Morgana urged them, hopping down the closest hallway and waving a paw. "This way!" Izuku and Ryuji didn't wait, quickly following after the feline. They ran a few meters down before skidding to a stop, hearing the sound of quick footfall further down the hall as well.

"D-damn it, what now?!" Ryuji groaned, looking around for another route. Morgana did the same, his eyes landing on a single wooden door.

"This feeling… come on, into the room!" Morgana ordered, quickly moving to the door and pulling it open. Not seeing any other option, Izuku and Ryuji obeyed, rushing into the room and quickly closing the door behind them. "Okay, we should be safe here. The guards won't come in."

"S-safe?! All they have to do is open the door and we're toast!" Ryuji blanched, seeing that there was no way for them to escape should the guards decide to check out the room.

"It's not a problem. We're definitely safe here. Take a look." Morgana chuckled smugly, the two blinking before looking around the room. In a wave, they suddenly saw a classroom replace the shabby break room. "This room is the least distorted among the castle, which means the Shadows won't come here looking."

"Was that… a classroom?" Ryuji muttered in disbelief, glancing around in disbelief.

"I see…" Izuku mumbled, holding his chin and looking down in thought. "... because he's only a coach and gym teacher, Kamoshida-sensei has the least control in other classrooms, so his cognition isn't strong enough in those spaces in spite of the overall distortion over the school…"

"Wha-how are you picking up on all this so quickly?! I'm still confused as shit!" Ryuji blurted out, scratching his head in frustration.

"Not everyone moves at a snail's pace when it comes to thinking like you, Ryuji." Morgana taunted with a chuckle.

Before Ryuji could retort, Izuku held up a hand, silently pointing to the door. "Did you see where they went?" A muffled voice shouted on the other side of the door, the three remaining silent as they listened in. "I don't think they came this way. Return to your posts, but remain vigilant! If those thieves are really here, we must dispose of them for lord Kamoshida!" with that, the shadows seemed to disperse, footsteps getting further away after several seconds of waiting. Once they seemed to be in the clear, the three collectively took a breath in relief, relaxing somewhat now that they could.

"Man… It's a damn good thing that asshole doesn't teach a class, too…" Ryuji muttered, taking a seat in one of the wooden chairs nearby. "But hey, I noticed that all the cells were empty on our way here. Even the one I remembered from before was empty. Where the hell are the slaves?"

"Like I said before, they're all most likely in the torture chamber. We've got to go deeper before we'll find them. Now let's rest up for a few before we continue. It might be safe here, but we shouldn't stay longer in this palace than we need to." Morgana advised, hopping up on the table in front of Ryuji.

"At least we have somewhere to go in case things get heated." Izuku mumbled, standing by the table now. "But since we have the time, I did have something else I wanted to ask about, Morgana-san."

"Fire away." Morgana agreed, seeing no reason to rush.

"I've been wondering about my clothes… they changed the same time that my Persona appeared, so it's obvious they're related. How is that exactly?" Izuku questioned, looking at the cat intently. "Is it related to the mask?"

"In some way, it is." Morgana nodded in confirmation. "The clothes represent your will of rebellion. Your Persona is it manifested into power, while the clothes protect you in what you picture a rebel to be within your heart. It also helps to protect you from distortions."

"I… don't get it…" Ryuji admitted with a sigh, leaning forward on his knees.

"So… I guess because I want to be a hero, my inner rebel was to be one…" Izuku muttered, looking down at his attire.

"W-wait, but heroes aren't really rebels in our world. I mean, practically everyone wants to be one." Ryuji pointed out, seemingly able to understand that much at least. "So how does that make you a rebel?"

"... Probably because despite not having a Quirk and having a criminal record, I still want to be a hero." Izuku admitted, gripping at his chest. "Even though society has told me over and over again that I can't be one… I guess my rebellion is to keep trying at it…"

"Sounds like things have been pretty hard for you." Morgana mused, a small sympathetic frown on his face. Izuku looked back up at Morgana, a look of determination coming over his features that couldn't be hidden by his mask.

"It's the other reason I decided to come back. I want to know more about my powers. I want to know if I can use them to help people if at all possible. Considering that this power is similarly based on cognition, it's doubtful I can use them outside of this world, but… I feel like there's a reason I can use them here. Maybe I can help people with them here, starting with Kamoshida-sensei." Izuku explained, brow furrowed seriously. "If I can do that, then I'll put all my effort into working hard in this world."

Morgana widened his eyes after hearing Izuku's speech, taken back by the timid teen's sudden conviction. "You know, Izuku, you never cease to surprise me. You've got a lotta guts for a guy who is constantly jumpy." He chuckled, but a small smile of admiration accompanying his expression.

"Y-yeah dude, you're effin' amazing…" Ryuji muttered in awe, eyes wide as he stared at the timid teen. "I knew you were pretty kind and brave, but you've got a lot more in you than I thought…"

"I'll tell you what. Once we're done gathering the intel here and you've helped me with my objective, I think I can help you make that happen." Morgana declared with a small… paw pump. "Just be prepared. You've got a lot to learn. Though I think you'll be able to catch up pretty quickly at the pace you've been going at so far."

"S-so there is a way to use my powers to help others?!" Izuku grinned, excited to hear that coming from the feline. "A-alright, once we're done here, I'll do my best to help you out!"

"Now that's what I like to hear! I'd say our deal has taken a pretty big step up from what we originally had planned." Morgana snickered triumphantly. "You'll be pretty useful for what I need. So try to keep up, rookie."

Izuku smiled, satisfied with the deal that he had formed with the cat. Opening his eyes to speak, he realized that the two seemed to be frozen in place, blinking in question for a moment.

 **I am thou, thou art I**

Izuku felt his eyes widen when he heard that voice echo in his head, the one he heard when he first awakened his Persona.

 **Thou hast acquired a new vow.**

 **It shall become the wings of rebellion**

 **That breaketh thy chains of captivity.**

 **With the birth of the Magician Persona,**

 **I have obtained the winds of Blessing**

 **that shall lead to freedom and new power…**

The sound of chains breaking filled his ears, and a strangely designed card appeared before his eyes. **Magician** it read in strange text at the bottom. Then suddenly his friends started to move once again. "Alright, I think we've rested long enough. We should get going while the guards are off in another part of the castle." Morgana pointed out, hopping down from the table and heading for the door.

"Sounds good to me. Hopefully we don't run into any more than we already have." Ryuji sighed, slapping his hands against his cheeks as if trying to wake up. "Alright, I'm ready! Gotta get hyped." He said, walking past Izuku. When they both noticed that he was lingering, staring for a long moment, the two blinked and looked back at him in question. "You okay, dude?"

Izuku blinked, seemingly having to wake up as well. "A-ah, y-yeah, of course…" Izuku nodded, biting his bottom lip. "But uh… did neither of you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Morgana asked this time, turning back to him curiously. Looking between the two, Izuku released a sigh. It seemed that it was only him who heard such a strange declaration. Considering everything that had been happening lately, he doubted it was just his imagination. _I'm sure it has something to do with Igor in the velvet room. I'll be sure to ask about it the next time I'm there… even though he might not answer me straight out…_

"N-nevermind, I-I was just hearing things… Let's go."

* * *

It didn't take long for the trio to reach the torture room of the dungeon. They had stuck to the shadows, and only encountered two guards that they were forced to fight which, thankfully, weren't enough of a challenge to slow them too much. As they went through the halls, they had confirmed Morgana's previous words, all of the cells empty of their prisoners. It had taken some time, but they had at least reached the chamber without alerting any other guards to their presence other than those they had already disposed of.

"Holy shit…" Ryuji muttered, the three walking up to a bar window and observing the torture below them.

"This is… terrible…" Izuku muttered, his face paling at the sight. "T-this is the kind of thing a teacher would impose on a student..?" the first view of torture they had wasn't pretty. Chained against what looked like a volleyball net, several teenagers in gym suits could be seen being lashed in the back over and over again by the guards.

"That's not the only thing they're doing down here…" Morgana pointed out, at another window further down in the chamber. Izuku and Ryuji hesitated for a moment before pushing forward, both looking through the window of the second large cell. By comparison, this punishment seemed more tame, but was no less cruel. Several students were forced to run on a large conveyor belt, a spiked roller at the end should one fail to keep running.

"Pl-please, no more… I-I can't…" One of them was crying out weakly, breath labored as he struggled to keep from certain doom.

"That piece of shit… not giving people water when they train is common, but still… it's eff'd up." Ryuji cursed, gripping his hand in frustration. "And it looks like I was right. These guys are familiar. They're all members of the volleyball team. No surprise they're the ones on the receivin' end of all his shit."

"Hey, we don't have time to stand around. The guards might come through here to check on the slaves." Morgana pointed out. While he did think it was terrible, they were still only cognitions. There was nothing else to be done here for them.

"Sh-shit, you're right…" Ryuji sighed, pulling out his phone. "I can at least take pictures of all this… though I guess just focusin' on the person will work. No one would get who the guards are." he mumbled, searching through his apps before blinking. "Wh-what the hell?! The camera app won't open up!"

"Wh-what?" Izuku widened his eyes before quickly pulling out his own phone. "I-it's strange… mine won't work either… only the navigation app seems to be working here…"

"Ah-son of a bitch!" Ryuji snapped in anger, stuffing his phone away. "I can't believe this shit!"

"Hey, not so loudly! Those are still guards down there, you know." Morgana warned, earning a sigh in response from Ryuji.

"Damn it, this isn't what I had in mind…" Ryuji muttered before going up to the bars. "I guess all I can do is memorize their faces. I know a few of 'em, so we can at least talk to them later."

"W-will they really admit to it, though?" Izuku muttered, biting his bottom lip. "I-if this has been going on for a while, then… they've likely resigned to what's been happening…" Izuku shook his head, brow furrowing in determination. "Even so, if we can get at least one of them to talk, it would help. Then maybe we'll be able to take Kamoshida-sensei down."

"Exactly. All we gotta do is make 'em talk. I won't let that asshole get away with this…" Ryuji growled before moving away from the bars. "Alright, I've got their faces memorized. Let's see who else is here." The three moved forward, looking into the next cell. Ryuji and Izuku felt their eyes widen again when they saw the next torture. A student was being hung from the ceiling upside down, a ball being spiked into him powerfully enough to explode upon impact.

"I-it only seems to get worse…" Izuku gulped, wondering just how terrible Kamoshida really was. He almost doubted that the teacher could get any more devious short of murder. Something which his Shadow had attempted against them, of course.

"I heard he's spiked a couple students in practice, but… I didn't think he was this severe wtih that shit…" Ryuji muttered before shaking his head. "C-come on, I've got his face memorized, too."

Moving onto the next cell, they saw a teen standing there quietly, apparently spared for the moment from the torture. "What do you guys want? I don't wanna get glared at like people do to you… I'd rather be popular than free…" He said on his own, causing Ryuji and Izuku to blink in shock.

"Are you sayin' you don't give a shit about bein' tortured?! Who gives a shit about how people look at you!" Ryuji snapped back.

"R-Ryuji-sempai…" Izuku muttered, only for the faux blond to shake his head.

"I know, I know. They're just fakes. It just pisses me off to hear that…" He muttered before turning to them. "Alright, that's everyone. Let's get the hell out of here."

"Good, we've been here long enough. Come on, let's get going!" Morgana urged, dashing ahead to lead them back to the closest exit. Ryuji and Izuku were close behind, the three finally departing from the chamber and returning back to the main halls of the dungeon. They stopped at the top of the stairs, the sound of some of the guards talking being heard further down the right path.

"We haven't heard any reports from the west guards. Chances of intruders in the castle have risen. Be on guard!" One ordered, the sound of their armor moving around echoing down the hall. Morgana peeked around the side of the barrel, clicking his tongue.

"Darn it, we've lingered too long… We need to get out of here, and quick." Morgana whispered back before going to the opposite hall of the guards. "Come on, this way! We're heading straight for the exit!"

Izuku and Ryuji nodded, quickly rushing after the feline as he lead the way. Izuku noted that their path had been much clearer this time around as they moved through the dungeon, though he guessed it was because they had already been through here. At least, that's what he wanted to believe. Besides, they didn't have much choice when it came to an alternate route of escape. None of them knew of a better way out.

"We're almost there!" Morgana announced, leading them up a familiar winding staircase. Pushing the doors open he didn't bother stopping, knowing that it was only a matter of time before they were found if they didn't hurry.

"So it was you knaves again, huh?"

Izuku felt himself pale as the familiar voice echoed through the main hall, he and Ryuji halting behind Morgana as the 'king' came into view. Behind him three armored guards followed. One in particular stood out, it's armor golden rather than gray like the others and standing at Kamoshida's side.

"To think you'd be foolish enough to come back here after what you fools pulled before." Kamoshida scoffed, his eyes falling on Ryuji. "Though I shouldn't be surprised that a dumb ape like you would keep trying to oppose me."

"This school ain't your castle, asshole!" Ryuji snapped, taking a step forward and glaring back at the Shadow. "We've seen all their faces! We know what you're doin' to 'em, too! You ain't gettin' away with this shit!"

"It seems you just can't get over what happened, huh?" Kamoshida scoffed, a smirk working its way onto his face. "After all, you wouldn't want to put the blame on yourself. You'd rather put it all on me despite being the 'track traitor' who got his team disbanded and ruined your friends dreams!" Izuku and Morgana blinked in shock, eyes turning slightly to the side at Ryuji.

"Wh-what's he talking about, Ryuji-sempai?" Izuku muttered despite himself. He knew that this was likely what Ryuji had been hiding about his relationship with Kamoshida, but he couldn't help but ask. The moment that Kamoshida had brought it up, the faux blond had winced in regret.

"I-I… I messed up…" Ryuji admitted, one eye squinting as he found trouble in looking the green haired teen in the eye.

"Messed up? Is that all you call it? Betraying your teammates and crushing their hopes of going to the nationals is just you having 'messed up'?" Kamoshida cackled, shaking his head. "You act like nothing even happened, carefree as ever when going through school. You don't look very repentant of what happened."

"Tha-that's not true! I just… I couldn't take it!" Ryuji snapped, grinding his teeth in frustration. "You were pushing us too damn hard, you bastard! And then you talked shit about my dad!"

"Yet I'm not the one who ended up getting the team terminated by throwing a punch. That was all you." Kamoshida taunted further, his words digging into Ryuji like a nail. "It looks like you have followed this fool here only to be killed… how unlucky for you." Kamoshida turned around and waved his hand toward his guards, the knights stepping forward with their swords prepared. "Kill them all. I don't need this garbage lurking around my beautiful castle any longer."

"Yes, lord Kamoshida!" They chanted before dissolving into black ooze like before. Taking shape were three large black horse like creatures, ram horns on top of their heads as they stooped forward.

"Oh no-Ryuji, get back!" Morgana ordered, he and Izuku quickly stepping forward and pulling out their weapons. "Darn it, these ones are strong! We're going to have to try and look for an escape route once it's open."

"W-we also need to watch out for the golden one, he hasn't moved…" Izuku pointed out, the golden guard still in it's knight form. _Is there a way we can try and move around them instead?_

"Sh-shit, guys! Behind you!" Ryuji called out, Morgana and Izuku quickly turning their heads to the back. Behind them was another Shadow that seemed to escape their sight before, the large horse whinnying before lunging forward with its horns.

"C-crap! Watch out!" Morgana cried out, prepared to try and dodge if he could. Izuku bit his bottom lip as it approached, merely taking a side step with his staff reared back.

 _M-maybe if I can shift its momentum just enough, I can take it out…_ Izuku mused as he decided to take a heavy risk. Spinning his staff in hand, he waited until the last second before smacking the shadow directly in the head with it, crying out in strain as he put his full body strength into the hit. As hoped, it had knocked it off course, causing it to ram directly into the ground and flip over. "Y-yes! It work-"

"Forward!" Morgana pointed, Izuku turning and going pale as the Shadows they had faced first came charging in. He didn't have time to dodge or step out of the way, meekly holding his staff up to block the hit. It had failed at truly protecting him, the horse swinging it's head and knocking Izuku on the ground with its horns. The other had done the same with Morgana, the cat landing flat on his stomach next to him.

"G-guys!" Ryuji cried out in fear, unable to help in any way as he fell to his knees.

"W-we have to recover before they-" Izuku huffed out, only for a foot to stomp down on his back and force him to the ground. He looked up to see the golden guard from before, Kamoshida laughing as he moved forward and stepped down on Morgana.

"Agh! You son of a-" the cat cursed until he felt Kamoshida apply more pressure on his back.

"Look at that, Sakamoto. More people you're letting be crushed because of your selfishness." Kamoshida laughed as he leaned his weight on the cat. "I bet you barged in here on a whim, huh?"

"Y-you're wrong, he-" Izuku forced out with a grunt, only for the soldier to stomp on his back again.

"N-no! I didn't…" Ryuji muttered in despair, leaning forward on his hands as he visibly shook.

"I was even kind enough to supervise your practices. You should feel grateful I'd even do that much for your worthless track team." Kamoshida scoffed, crossing his arms.

"Y-you ruined everything! W-we were gonna go to nationals if it wasn't for you, asshole!" Ryuji growled in accusation, hands gripping until the knuckles were white.

"The track team was in the way. I was the only one who needed to be the star of our school." Kamoshida scoffed, taking enjoyment in his torment of Ryuji. "Your couch was an idiot, too. Had he not stood up to me with a sound argument, I might have just settled with breaking his star runner's leg."

Ryuji felt his breath hitch at that, looking back up at Kamoshida in shock. "Wh-what..? S-so you were aiming for that the whole time..?"

"Of course! I had to get rid of your team somehow. Considering how hot headed you always were, I knew it was only a matter of time before you snapped. You made it so easy to get rid of you." Kamoshida laughed as he shook his head.

"Yo-you're a monster…" Izuku growled out from his spot on the ground, teeth gnashing in anger. "Y-you would ruin someone else's future j-just for your reputation..?"

"And why not? My future is what matters. My results are what people are looking to. Whoever else get in my way just gets crushed." Kamoshida spat with a dark grin. "This society spends it's worthless time looking up to so called 'heroes' with admiration and expectations. I wasn't born with a some stupidly strong Quirk like they were, yet I've been able to claim all of that! What does some punk teen's future mean to me?"

"D-damn it… Y-you didn't just take away the track team… you made my Quirk almost unusable…" Ryuji muttered out, tears of frustration threatening at the edge of his eyes. "I-I can't believe it… th-there really is no way to win against him…"

"I feel like adding a bit more to that despair in you, just to ice the cake." Kamoshida cackled again, eyes glaring down at Morgana and Izuku. "Execute these two first. That dumb ape can watch before he gets it."

"No…" Ryuji bit his bottom lip, hands gripping his head in exasperation. "No, I-"

"Ryuji-sempai!" Izuku exclaimed, his voice almost cracking at the volume he shouted. "Don't give up! R-right now, we're the only ones who can-" the knight put pressure on Izuku's back, pushing him down to the his teeth, Izuku pushed back, struggling to keep from being crushed. "-we're the only ones who can stop him… the only ones who can make sure he doesn't keep… hurting people. Don't accept a single thing that he's done to you or others! Stand up… fight back… fight with everything you have!" Izuku exclaimed before finally buckling under the pressure from the golden armored knight.

Ryuji seemed to hear his words, looking back up at the younger teen in awe and understanding. Gritting his teeth and furrowing his brow, Ryuji nodded. "Yeah… you're right…" He muttered, pushing off the ground to stand on his own two feet. "Everything was taken from me by him… and he'll just keep doing this shit to others if they get in his way…"

"Don't make me laugh. Stand up all you want, you're still just useless. Your Quirk is basically broken and these two did all the fighting. You're still as helpless as ever." Kamoshida further taunted, hoping to break Ryuji back down to where he had been.

"I don't care if I have to break my leg to use 'em again…" Ryuji growled, gripping his fists as he felt energy building up in his knee caps, electricity starting to crackle around them. "I'll do whatever it takes to wipe that damn smile off your face!" He exclaimed, hunching forward and preparing to charge.

 _ **You made me wait quite a while.**_

Ryuji froze, his head suddenly blistering with pain. He let out a choking sound as he reached up and gripped his head.

"R-Ryuji-sempai!" Izuku cried out in concern, but soon widening his eyes in understanding. "No way… is this..?"

 _ **You seek power, correct? Then let us form a pact.**_

Ryuji fell to the ground from the pain, drool dripping from his mouth as he forced out labored breaths.

"N-no way, is he..?" Morgana muttered as he watched Ryuji struggle to move.

 _ **Since your name has been disgraced already, why not hoist the flag and wreak havoc?**_

Ryuji writhed in pain as he gripped his head again, eyes filled with tears of pain as he rolled on his back, screaming for release.

 _ **The "other you" within desires it thus…**_

He rolled back on his stomach and clenched his eyes and teeth, pushing off the ground again and weakly clambering up on all fours.

 _ **I am thou… thou art I…**_ Ryuji looked up at Izuku and Morgana again before buckling over. _**There is no turning back! The skull of rebellion is your flag henceforth!**_ In a flash of blue flame, Ryuji's face formed a mask. It was a silver skull with the eye sockets blackened around Ryuji's cheeks.

"Ryuji-sempai…" Izuku muttered in awe, amazed that the faux blond was able to pull forth such power, just like he did.

"Hah! What can he do to change the tide?!" The golden knight above Izuku scoffed before raising it's sword above it. "Watch helplessly as they perish!"

Ryuji didn't waste any time, quickly scrambling to his feet and gripping the mask plastered to his face. In a painful display, he quickly pulled the mask off, his skin violently ripping off with it as he did so. " **AAGH!** " He cried out in agony, a tower of blue flames bursting up behind him. It created a shockwave that blasted the knights and Kamoshida back several steps, Izuku and Morgana free from their captors. They both scrambled to their feet, wide eyed as they looked upon the figure that now towered over Ryuji.

"Hell yeah… this is amazing…" Ryuji grinned mischievously right at Kamoshida. Like Izuku, his clothes had completely transformed, now consisting of a high collared leather jacket and matching pants. He now wore knuckle spiked yellow gloves and a red scarf around his neck. Above him, the large figure materialized. It hovered above the ground on a black pirate ship replacing its feet, a shark tooth grin and eyes painted on the front. It's legs were thin, leading up to a thicker center body with a blue captain's shirt and a pair of swords embroidering the front. On its shoulders, a tattered red and black cape fluttered behind it. On top of it's head, it wore a classic black captain cap with a the standard skull and crossbones on the front. Replacing its right hand was none other than a smoking cannon.

"I knew you had it in you, Ryuji-sempai…" Izuku grinned in relief before quickly lashing around.

"Probably thanks to you, bro. I definitely owe you one." Ryuji chuckled as he looked at Izuku before focusing his attention forward. "But now, it's payback time. We're gonna take this one right out of your ass, Kamoshida!"

"Looks like we'll have plenty of help taking these guys down now." Morgana smirked as he faced the Shadows with the rest, the three squaring off in preparation to fight.

Kamoshida took several steps back, the golden knight growled in annoyance as it stood in front of it's 'king' before slamming it's sword into the ground. "Don't you dare mock me!" It roared before black ooze consumed it's body, quickly replacing it with a larger more full bodied knight who strode atop a purple horse in pinkish armor, a spear in hand.

Taking the lead now, Ryuji stepped forward and pointed right at the knight with deadly confidence.

"Blast him away… **Captain Kidd**!"

 **To be continued…**

 **Hey guys, sorry to end it on such a cliffhanger! I was actually expecting that I would have far more word room for this part of the story to end, but I was already hitting well over 9k words which I don't want since I've been aiming for 7-8k in total. But don't worry, this section of their visit to Kamoshida's dungeon will be swiftly finished next chapter.**

 **In case you were wondering about why I created Morgana's arcana deal first, it felt more likely because of Izuku's personal conviction. Unlike Akira's half assed answer, I believe Izuku would be more genuine in his agreement to help Morgana out in his case. I sort of feel bad that it happened before best bro Ryuji's arcana confirmation, but it's fine. That'll be next chapter lol**

 **Anyways, that's all for this chapter guys. I should be able to dish out another chapter in two weeks, right before my classes at college start up again. Please leave a review, a follow and a favorite for me :)**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I own neither Persona 5 or My Hero Academia**

Chapter 7

A lot had been on Makoto's mind since she first talked with Izuku the previous day. The first being that, despite all of the circumstances behind it, she was quite happy to see Izuku again. The move away from her old town and into the city had been rough the first time around. With her father gone, her sister had to take care of her and so they needed something affordable and close to Sae's line of work. Leaving behind two of her close friends hurt quite a bit. Not to mention the way that Bakugo had said 'goodbye' to her.

Makoto shook her head, setting her pencil down and sighing. _It's hard to study with all of this on my mind._ Makoto relented to herself, folding up her textbook and putting her things back into her bag. Standing from her seat, Makoto made her way out of the library. Looking around, the student council president noticed that there were still a fair amount of students left in the school.

"I wonder… is Midori still here?" Makoto hummed aloud, eyes glancing around curiously. "Perhaps we can catch up…" She reached into her pocket and pulled out her phone, beginning to look through her mail list before stopping. "Oh… right… I didn't get his number yesterday…" Makoto sighed, shoulders slumping in defeat.

Considering that school was out, Makoto doubted that he was still hanging around the building. He had always been smart, but he was the type to study at home rather than around other people. Deciding that she likely wouldn't find him today, Makoto resigned to heading home.

 _I wonder if he's still hanging out with Sakamoto-san…_ her mind began to wander, the thought causing her to sigh. Izuku was a good kid, but he definitely had strange preference in friends. Sure, after her intervention between him and Bakugo, the two had finally been on better terms, but beforehand Bakugo was just a straight bully to him.

From the things that she had heard about Sakamoto, he certainly was no Bakugo. But still, even if the faux blond wasn't hurting Izuku, he might instead inspire the green haired teen to do more delinquent activities like skipping school or similar such things. Makoto would be sure to keep an eye on the two, that was for certain. Despite the time lost between them because of her move, Makoto couldn't help but feel protective. She had few friends at this school, but she hoped to salvage the relationship she once had with Izuku despite this.

 _Izuku seems to trust him enough… still, I can't help but worry they might get involved in something bad…_

 **XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX**

* * *

" **Get wrecked!** "

With a sudden burst of electricity, Ryuji disposed of another one of the lesser Shadows left. The large horses revealed to be weak to his Persona's power, which revolved around electricity and physical prowess from what Izuku could tell. Together with Morgana, the three had easily disposed of the lesser Shadows. The only one remaining now was the pink armored knight, which even he was proving to be no challenge for the three.

"You… you worthless peasants…" the knight growled, body hunched over it's white horse in pain.

"Maybe you should try followin' a guy that's not a total scumbag, asshole." Ryuji grinned as he pointed forward. "We're gonna do the same to him that we're doin' to you! Go, Captain Kidd!"

The pirate themed Persona tilted forward on top it's boat before swinging the hull around and smashing it into the Shadow. It cried out in pain again, the horse he strode on staying on it's feet despite the impact.

"Carter! Finish him off!" Izuku ordered before the Shadow could fully recover. Launching forward, Carter's cape flapped in the wind before unsheathing it's sword and cutting right through the pink armored knight, it's body splitting in half as well as the horses before dissolving into the black ooze from before. The golden knight's armor fell back on the ground, it's mask discarded to the side and it's armor empty.

"Hell yeah! That's what I'm talking about!" Ryuji whooped confidently, pumping his fist in confidence. It wasn't a moment later that he realized how tired he was, his hands falling to his knees as he started to pant heavily. "Oh… damn…"

"To think that even this guy would have the potential." Morgana muttered in slight amazement before turning his eyes forward, his brow falling into a glare as his sights landed on the Shadow Kamoshida. "Now we've only got one more obstacle in the way."

"Our original plan was just to escape from here, but… what should we do now?" Izuku mumbled to himself, a bit of sweat trailing down his cheek as his eyes met the Shadow version of Kamoshida. Even after all that they did, he was still grinning like he had beaten them somehow.

"You better prepare yourself, asshole." Ryuji huffed out, pushing off his knees so that he was standing at full height. "And don't bother apologizin'. I'm gonna beat the shit out of you."

"Just because you got a little mask to dance around in doesn't mean anything." Kamoshida scoffed, relaxed in his posture as he folded his arms under his shoulder cape. "This is **my** castle. And what I say, goes. Isn't that right, my queen?"

"Tha~t's right!" Izuku and Ryuji blinked as a slim figure came out from behind a pillar by the winding stairs. Immediately Izuku recognized it as the girl he had briefly spoke to before and the one that was apparently dating Kamoshida. Instead of her school attire though, she wore a purple leopard print bikini and a pair of cat ears on top of her head.

"Wh-Takamaki?!" Ryuji immediately gasped, his guard dropped as he stared dumbfounded at the twin tail blonde.

"Wh-whoa…" Morgana's jaw dropped, eyes wide as he stared up at Takamaki in awe. "Wh-what a beautiful and meow-verlous girl…"

"S-she's supposed to be the one that's dating Kamoshida-sensei… I heard them talk earlier…" Izuku informed the two, eyes filled with confusion. Despite his normal nervousness around women, he was far more focused on the potential danger and their enemy. "But she seemed… really disgusted by him… this must be his cognitive version of her…"

"Oh, so it's just a fake..? But still, this is jacked up…" Ryuji muttered, watching as the fake Takamaki leaned on Kamoshida's shoulder. "Hey! Stop touching her, you sick bastard!"

"She is the queen of this castle. And like her, everyone wishes to be loved by me!" Kamoshida cackled with a twisted grin. The grin fell to a glare, his yellow eyes narrowing at the three. "That is save for scum sucking trash like you three. Guards! Hurry up and clean these fools out!" He snapped his fingers, and suddenly four of the gray armored knights sprouted from the ground.

"Ah-shit! More?!" Ryuji cursed, taking a step back. As fired up to fight as he was, he was still completely exhausted from awakening his Persona only moments ago.

"W-we need to retreat! We're not prepared to keep fighting more and more of them!" Izuku announced, nevertheless preparing his staff should one of them opt to charge them now.

"Wait, but what about Kamoshida?!" Ryuji asked, desperation clear in his voice. "We really gonna leave it like this?!"

"We don't have the time or energy to try and push through like this! Listen to him and let's get going!" Morgana asserted as well, the faux blond biting his bottom lip in frustration. Turning back to Kamoshida, he pointed straight at him.

"Don't think we're done with ya, asshole! Once we get back to the real world, we're gonna make sure you go down! So smile all you want until the shit finally hits the fan for you!" Ryuji barked in aggravation, his words only soliciting a laugh from Kamoshida.

"Go ahead and try, trash. Once that fails, I'm sure you'll be dumb enough to come back here just to die!" Kamoshida retorted with the smuggest grin that Ryuji had ever seen.

"R-Ryuji-sempai! We've gotta go!" Izuku told him again. The faux blond grit his teeth and obeyed, turning around and sprinting alongside Izuku and Morgana. The knights gave chase, but were too slow to keep up. Sneaking into the previous room, the three made a quick escape through the ventilation shaft. It wasn't long before they were outside of the castle and in front of the gates, all taking a moment to catch their breath now that they were out of immediate danger.

"Man… that was somethin', huh?" Ryuji chuckled breathlessly, pushing off his knees to stand straight. Looking down at himself, he took a moment to regard his new attire. "Looks like I got wardrobe change, too. So… that means somethin', right?"

"I-it's part of having a Persona now, Ryuji-sempai." Izuku reminded, glancing at the door in caution. "B-but we shouldn't linger here too long. We don't know if those guards will come out soon or not."

"Oh-dude, is this a skull?!" Ryuji blurted out, hands reaching up to his face and feeling his new mask out.

"Hey, if you're gonna talk, keep it down! Guards are still around!" Morgana whisper shouted at the punk.

"Oh, right…" Ryuji finally toned down his volume, his voice falling low but just outside of a whisper. "So… I guess we go back now, right? He shouldn't remember any of this in our world, right?"

"No. It should be just like before." Izuku nodded before holding his chin in thought. "Still… to have to walk around school knowing that someone so terrible is around…" Izuku's gaze returned to the castle, a sad frown edging at his mouth. "So many people he's been hurting… I really can't think of any redeeming feature in Kamoshida-sensei."

"Well, we've got a plan for gettin' rid of him now. We should get back to rest up. We've got a longn day tomorrow." Ryuji suggested, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Hey, where do you two think you're going?" Morgana quickly interrupted, placing his paws on his hips. "I guided you both around as promised, now it's my turn! We made a deal, remember?" He said, his eyes now pointedly looking at Izuku.

Ryuji opened his mouth to retort, but Izuku was quick to answer first. "Morgana-san. Right now Ryuji-sempai and I are pretty tired. He just woke up his Persona, so I know he's probably as exhausted as I was. We probably couldn't do too much more even if we tried." Izuku reasoned, kneeling in front of the cat. "But I promise, once everything with Kamoshida-sensei is over, I'll do everything I can to help you. Okay?" The green haired teen gave a reassuring smile, holding out his hand to shake with the cat.

Morgana narrowed his eyes for a moment in suspicion before returning the smile, reaching out and shaking. "Alright, I guess I can trust you on that. You still have a bit to learn if you want to be a hero in the shadows, after all." Morgana chuckled, nodding in understanding. "Well then, I guess I'll see you two soon. Get some rest and do what you have to."

"Thanks for all the help, cat. You're pretty tough for bein' a cat." Ryuji snickered, reaching down and rubbing Morgana's head.

"Hey, cut that out!" He complained, waving his paws at his hand to shoo him away. "Don't treat me like a child!"

"Anyway, we'll be seein' ya. Catch ya later, cat." Ryuji waved without a care before heading to the entrance. Izuku gave a shining smile before turning and waving as well.

"We'll come back soon, Morgana-san. Later!" He called out before quickly following after Ryuji. The cat watched them depart with some thought, placing a paw on his chin.

"Hm… I wonder if I could go to their world as I am…"

 **XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX**

* * *

It wasn't long until Ryuji and Izuku returned to their own familiar world, the two standing right in front of the school in the alley. Glancing up at the sky, Izuku could see that it was now getting close to sunset. The time spent in that world moved at the same pace as this world from what he could tell. _It was the same as yesterday, after all…_

"Man, I'm glad we're back…" Ryuji huffed out, leaning on the alley wall for support as he took a moment to catch his breath.

"Y-yeah… but we ended up doing a lot today. We've gotten all we can to strike out at Kamoshida-sensei, now." Izuku encouraged, offering a smile to the faux blond.

"Yeah, you're right about that. Still… sorry for draggin' you into this." Ryuji apologized, turning to Izuku with a small frown. "I know you got your own reasons for goin' over there, but I still feel kinda responsible for gettin' you guys in trouble that first time."

"N-no, Ryuji-sempai! Not at all!" Izuku shook his head in dismissal and raising his arms. "Y-you helped out the best you could and in the end, you saved us from a bad spot!" Izuku reassured before giving a gentle smile. "T-to be honest, I'm really glad that you decided to go back with me. I-it's kind of reassuring to know I've got someone who is willing to help me out, you know..?"

Ryuji felt his eyes widen a bit at that before giving a small smile of his own. "Well… I guess when you put it like that, we were both lucky to meet up when we did, huh?" Ryuji chuckled sheepishly, feeling a bit happy after listening to Izuku. "But man, I'm dead tired after all that… did you feel this way when you first summoned your Persona?"

"Y-yeah, I was pretty exhausted. I almost fell asleep in class if it wasn't for…" Izuku trailed off, remembering the whispers from before. He shook his head, turning back to Ryuji. "A-anyway, we got some useful information today. You remember all of their faces, right?"

"That's right. Tomorrow's gonna get crazy." Ryuji smiled in excitement. "If we can get at least one of those guys to fess up about what that asshole is doin', then we've got him. Kamoshida will be done. I don't feel like I really need to ask you this, but what do you say to roundin' up some confessions and people with me? Ready to put the nail in this coffin, partner?" He asked, holding a hand out toward Izuku.

The green haired teen gave a confident smile and nodded. "Of course. We'll put a stop to him no matter what!" Izuku proclaimed, reaching forward and clasping Ryuji's hand in a firm shake.

"Hell yeah, that's what I'm talkin' about! We've got this bro, you and me! We'll make him pay for everything he's done!" Ryuji returned with high energy, his grin as wide as can be. To Izuku, it was quite refreshing to have someone like Ryuji on his side. Someone he could definitely call his friend. He could be loud and a bit dense, but in the end Ryuji had a big heart. Izuku didn't mind having a partner like that.

 **I am thou, thou art I**

Izuku watched as Ryuji was once again slowed in time, eyes widening as he once again heard that same voice. _It's happening again… what is this?_

 **Thou hast acquired a new vow.**

 **It shall become the wings of rebellion**

 **That breaketh thy chains of captivity.**

 **With the birth of the Chariot Persona,**

 **I have obtained the winds of Blessing**

 **that shall lead to freedom and new power…**

Again, a card appeared in his mind and shattered a link of chains, this time with the title of Chariot at the bottom. After the image faded, time resumed around Izuku and Ryuji released his hand.

"Well, with that settled, let's call it a day." Ryuji suggested, stuffing his hands back into his pockets. "Though… I'd hate to split up from here…" Taking a moment to think, Ryuji gave a thoughtful look. "Well, I am pretty damn hungry. Neither of us has eaten since lunch, right? Why don't we grab a bite somewhere?"

"O-oh, sure. I-I don't really know the area, though…" Izuku admitted, rubbing the back of his head.

"Don't worry about it! Come on, I know a good place we can go. And don't worry, I've got ya covered for food. Dinner's on me!" Ryuji offered, motioning for Izuku to follow.

"Wh-what? N-no, you don't have to do that-" Izuku tried to argue, only for Ryuji to wrap an arm around his shoulders and pat him on the back.

"Don't be so formal! Just let me handle it, m'kay?" Ryuji dismissed, chuckling as he basically pulled Izuku forward. "Besides, I wanna hear about your past and stuff! Not to mention I gotta tell you about the thing with me and Kamoshida."

Izuku could only surrender himself to his fate, an awkward laugh escaping his mouth as he allowed Ryuji to tow him along.

 **XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX**

* * *

"Are you kidding me?! That asshole did all that?!"

"R-Ryuji-sempai, we're in a restaraunt…" Izuku reminded the faux blond, a small bead of sweat trailing down his brow. The two had relocated to a local beef bowl shop in Shibuya. Despite his feelings on his past, Izuku decided to be honest and tell Ryuji the entire story behind his arrest and criminal record. Needless to say, Ryuji was quite emotional after hearing the whole story.

"R-right, sorry…" Ryuji coughed, reaching forward and putting some more food in his mouth. "But still, hearing all that really pisses me off. Especially after knowing that you wanted to be a hero…"

Izuku hesitated to eat the piece in his chopsticks, eyes casting to the table blankly. "Y-yeah… i-it was hard enough being Quirkless, but… when that happened, it was over for me. There was no way I would be able to get into a hero training academy. I wanted to go to UA, too…"

Ryuji frowned after hearing that, scratching his head as he started to understand what Izuku was going through. "Well… I guess that's somethin' you could say is pretty similar between us." Izuku's eyes lifted from the table to look at Ryuji from the side. "We both had shitty adults basically steal away our futures… You wanted to be a hero, and I wanted to take my team to nationals. Hell, I was good enough that I could have gone to any college I wanted. But now… I can barely walk right when I try."

"Th-that's what Kamoshida-sensei did to you, right..?" Izuku remembered what the terrible coach said in the other world, Ryuji nodding in confirmation.

"That's right. You see, he started out as our assistant coach for the track team. Of course, to him we were just in the way. So he started training us like hell. Doin' cruel shit like runnin' us without water, doing way more than the usual reps, shit that was pushin' us all to the limit. One day, I just couldn't take it anymore and… swung on him." He sighed, scratching the top of his head. "Well, that's not the entire story… he said somethin' about my dad that ticked me off more than anything. My dad… left me and my mom when I was younger, see? So hearin' him talk shit about my personal business just… I couldn't help it."

"Y-you don't have to tell me anymore if you don't want to, Ryuji-sempai." Izuku offered, eyes full of sympathy as he watched the faux blond's mood fall a bit.

"Nah, it's cool. I owe you after everything. Plus, we're pals now. It's cool." Ryuji reassured, offering a small smirk. "But long story short, I swung on him and missed. And in 'self defense' that asshole broke my knee. Busted it up enough that he screwed up part of my Quirk. Of course, that had been his plan all along. He knew I was pretty hot headed, so Kamoshida singled me out. The prick…" He cursed to himself, shaking his head. "From then on, the team was disbanded, thanks to me. All because I couldn't stop myself. Not to mention all my former teammates hate me, too. I'm a pretty lame guy, huh?"

Izuku was silent for a moment before shaking his head. "S-someone needed to stand up to him… and had your team at least supported you, then maybe… maybe Kamoshida-sensei wouldn't still be hurting people like he is today." Izuku declared, brow furrowing seriously. "Besides, from the sound of it, even if Kamoshida-sensei didn't get you to do that, he would have found a way to take the track team out either way. B-but don't worry, Ryuji-sempai! I promise that I'll have your back from tomorrow onward!"

Ryuji smiled at that, nodding in acceptance. "I wouldn't doubt it for a second! Tomorrow, we begin our operation to take Kamoshida down. It's actually going to be a half day since there's a volleyball ralley. Recommended by Kamoshida, go figure. But this actually works out for us. We'll be able to hit up all the guys who are being hurt before school's over."

"That does work for us pretty well… hopefully we won't go totally noticed by everyone, especially Kamoshida-sensei…" Izuku muttered, holding his chin in thought. "But then again, right now we both stand out quite a bit… it probably won't take long for people to notice."

"Well, nothin' we can do about that. We'll just have to roll with those punches." Ryuji shrugged, knowing it was probably unavoidable. "Besides, even if the asshole notices, he can't expel us for just talkin' to people." Ryuji looked back at his bowl before cursing. "Ah-crap, we got into such a deep talk, my food's all cold!" He complained, taking a piece and eating it regardless of the state it was in. "Hm, still pretty good. Hey, you eat up too! You've barely touched it since we got here!"

"A-ah, okay!" Izuku nodded, quickly picking his chopsticks back up and beginning to eat. It was cold, but Izuku certainly enjoyed it. It had been a long time since he had gotten to sit down with a friend and enjoy a meal, after all.

 **XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX**

* * *

After the two had finished their meal, they decided to head home from there, the two heading off on different trains from one another. Before they had parted ways, Ryuji had insisted that they trade numbers and chat ID's, now making the two capable of communicating from home. Izuku had to admit, he was actually quite happy with how the day had turned out, despite the danger. Not only had they secured evidence against Kamoshida, but Izuku came to accept Ryuji as a good friend. The first one he'd had in a while, to be honest. Katsuki hadn't been the only one to bully him because of his Quirkless nature.

"Tomorrow's going to be very important… I need to be ready…" Izuku muttered to himself, walking into Leblanc. Inside, Sojiro was seated at the bar, scribbling away at the newspaper crossword. Seeing him, Izuku courteously spoke up first. "H-Hello, Sakura-san."

The coffee shop keeper glanced up from the paper at him and sat up straight to regard him. "I didn't get a call today. I take it you went to school, then?"

"Y-yes, of course! I-I wasn't planning on skipping again, Sakura-san-not that I skipped on purpose the first time but-I mean-" Izuku began to sputter about again, earning a sigh from Sojiro.

"Alright, alright. Don't get so worked up over it. As long as you're staying out of trouble, it's fine by me." Sojiro relented, placing his newspaper on the bar. "You really don't seem like the type that looks for trouble, but be careful of who you associate with. Someone else could end up getting you in trouble instead."

"Y-yes, Sakura-san." Izuku nodded in understanding. A tone suddenly chimed in his pocket, Izuku blinking before reaching in and pulling out his phone. Izuku smiled, seeing that it was Ryuji who was messaging him.

 _Ryuji: Yo, can you see this?_

 _Izuku: Yep!_

 _Ryuji: Cool. Ready for tomorrow?_

 _Izuku: D-definitely, you can count on me!_

 _Ryuji: Great. Let's take that asshole down tomorrow, bro._

 _Ryuji: Also…_

 _Ryuji: It's kinda funny that you stutter in text too lol_

Izuku blanched at the final message, only able to laugh sheepishly after seeing his reply. "I should probably try to do that less when texting…"

"Already made a friend, huh?" Sojiro hummed, standing from his seat at the bar. "Well, that's good. Just make sure you don't let them drag you along into something that'll cause trouble, alright?"

"G-got it. Ryuji-sempai is a good guy, so it should be okay." Izuku reassured, though couldn't stop a bit of sweat from building up on his brow. _Though in only two days, we've both come close to dying in another world…_

"Well, you seem to have things under control, for now. I'm gonna head home." Sojiro informed him, turning around and heading for the door. "I'm gonna lock up. I don't think you really would, but I'd rather you don't walk around too late."

"U-understood. I'm just going to head to bed." Izuku said, already taking steps toward the attic stairs. "I'll see you in the morning, Sakura-san." he waved goodbye, his temporary guardian nodding before taking his leave. Izuku headed up the stairs and stood at the center of his room. Looking around, for once having a clear mind, he realized how empty it felt in comparison to his old room.

"Mom did send all my old posters…" Izuku hummed, walking over to the shelf and pulling out the box of his old stuff. He hadn't been in the mood to look at any of them before, but now with his spirits up, Midoriya felt like doing a bit of decorating. After all, he had finally gotten his chance back. He still had a lot to learn from Morgana, and the world wouldn't know his name or who he was, but he could still help those who needed it.

Today, Izuku discovered that he could still be a hero.

 **XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX**

* * *

"Wake up, prisoner. Our master wishes to speak."

Izuku had been so caught up in his own determination for the next day, he hadn't thought about whether he would be summoned again. Sitting up from the bunk, Izuku rubbed his eyes open before standing up and walking over to the bars. It bothered him that even though this was a dream he still felt exhaustion.

"Welcome back, trickster." Igor greeted, his voice not particularly welcoming to the ear. "I wished to continue our conversation from your last visit. I'm sure you have a great deal to ask us after your latest endeavor in the cognitive world."

"Y-yeah, I do have a question of my own, too…" Izuku admitted, though he figured that was most likely what this visit was about.

"Of course. But before that, how are you finding your accommodations? Are you becoming used to this place?" Igor asked, leaning forward on his linked hands.

"W-well… it was pretty hard to accept at first, but… after everything I've seen it's really hard to still be totally thrown off by this place." Izuku admitted, glancing around the room of cells.

"That is good. This place is designed for your rehabilitation, after all. Your rehabilitation is aimed to determine if you can avoid ruin. But to do that, you will need more than your power alone." Igor continued, hand waving in the air. "I'm sure you have experienced it, having made two partnerships in one day. Both with the same power, no less. I was a bit surprised you were able to achieve both arcanas, but that is nonetheless encouraging."

"Partnerships..?" Izuku muttered, raising a brow before it clicked. "O-oh, that strange declaration I kept hearing… when I made a deal with Ryuji-sempai and Morgana-san. What was that?"

"The formation of these bonds will play a great role in the progression of your recovery. You've done well." Igor declared, though it still cleared up little as far as Izuku's confusion goes. "That said, I am not encouraging the formation of superficial relationships. They must be genuine threads linking you together with those willing to lend your their strength, beit by morals or faith. They will be bonds forged from a similar relation to you, those who have lost the place they once belonged to."

"S-so… making friends is supposed to make my Persona stronger..?" Izuku guessed as best he could, though having trouble figuring out exactly how that would make a difference.

"Personas are the strength of heart." Justine suddenly spoke, most likely seeing his confusion. "And with the formation of stronger bonds, your Personas will also grow with them."

Izuku blinked at that. "W-wait, but… I only have one Persona." He suggested, earning a small huff from Caroline on his left.

"Be quiet and wait until we're done talking, inmate!" She snapped at him, Izuku flinching back instinctively from the small warden. "On that note, you better make a lot of friends! There are plenty of people around who are better than you in different areas!"

"She is right. You must be prepared to use even me, or else your ambition will not come to fruition. After all, a hero can only be as good as those who support them, hm?" Igor chuckled, his words starting to sink in. Izuku had mixed feelings about using a friendship merely to gain power, but he also said that it wasn't going to work with something fake.

"I… understand." Izuku nodded, deciding that there was no use in arguing over the logic of Igor's words. He doubted that the long nosed man would even grace the conversation with an answer, anyways.

"Good. We have a deal, then." Igor chuckled, accepting Izuku's words. In a flash before Izuku's eyes, the chains appeared once again, causing him to blink in shock.

 **I am thou, thou art I**

 **Thou hast acquired a new vow.**

 **It shall become the wings of rebellion**

 **That breaketh thy chains of captivity.**

 **With the birth of the Fool Persona,**

 **I have obtained the winds of Blessing**

 **that shall lead to freedom and new power…**

Izuku heard the chains break and the card form again. Time resumed quickly afterwards, though Igor and the twins seemed to be watching him expectantly. "Th-that was… but all we did was-"

"A bond may not start between people simply through friendship. Sometimes a bond is formed through common interest. You might find this more evident as you continue to form more of them." Igor dismissed, chuckling at Izuku's surprise. "In due time, you will be able to understand all. Just continue to devote yourself to your rehabilitation."

Izuku opened his mouth, but Caroline was quick to silence him. "This conversation is over. Now get lost, inmate!" The green haired teen could only face fault at her dismissal before returning to his bunk.

 **XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX**

* * *

"Pretty borin', huh?" Ryuji sighed, back leaned against the wall. The day had flown by thanks to the assembly, Izuku and Ryuji now sitting along the wall of the gymnasium. In front of them, the teachers were currently playing a game of volley ball against the students. Kamoshida, of course, was outshining the rest of them. He had been spiking the ball on his students more than a few times already. Hard enough that some of the student's could barely muster up strength to stop the ball.

"I'm surprised that you decided to come here for the assembly, Ryuji-sempai." Izuku admitted, glancing at his senior. "You didn't want to start questioning people yet?"

"We have to make some kinda appearance at the assembly. After a bit, we can leave thankfully." Ryuji admitted, grumbling as he leaned forward on his hand. His eyes skimmed over the crowd of students, eyes finally landing on Takamaki. She was currently playing with her hair, disinterest in the game quite evident as well. "Still sticks out like a sore thumb, huh? She hasn't changed a bit."

"Huh? Who?" Izuku blinked, following his line of sight to Takamaki before raising a brow in question. "W-wait, you two know each other?"

"A bit. We were friends in middle school, but we haven't talked much since high school since we got put in separate classes." Ryuji explained with a shrug. "Still, I can't believe that she would date **that** asshole."

"I-I'm sure there's more to it than we know." Izuku suggested, eyes shifting back to Kamoshida. "When I saw them talking… she didn't look like she wanted anything to do with him…"

"Well, whatever the case, I guess it doesn't matter." Ryuji sighed, eyes turning back to the game. "Once we've got Kamoshida for the abuse, he'll be gone. I'm sure she'll drop his ass faster than a hammer."

"Heads up!" Ryuji and Izuku watched as Kamoshida spiked the ball particularly hard, the ball flying straight into one of the student player's face. The force was enough to knock him off his feet, the teen falling flat on his back. Izuku flinched at the impact, sympathetic pain filling him just from watching.

"Hey, are you alright?" Kamoshida asked, quickly ducking under the net to run over to the student. Izuku noted that the teen in question was fairly plain looking by a lot of standards, even more so than him. Short black hair, plain complexion.

"How much you wanna bet that was on purpose?" Ryuji clicked his tongue irritably, glaring at Kamoshida's back as he picked up a volleyball by his feet. "He'll get his. We're gonna make sure of that." He tossed the ball back to the court, one of the students picking it up. "Come on. We've been here long enough. Let's get goin'."

"Yeah." Izuku agreed, the two pulling up to their feet before walking out of the gymnasium. "So where should we start?"

"Well, we've got a couple guys to work with. Most of the ones that were slaves were in my year, from what I could tell. Though I wouldn't rule out any of the other members." Ryuji hummed, holding his chin in thought. "'Guess we'll start with one of the students in my year. Come on, I know what class to start with."

It wasn't long until Ryuji and Izuku arrived at the second floor, the room they were looking for quikly in sight. The classrooms were generally open, students who didn't attend the volleyball meet still loitering inside. Ryuji led Izuku inside, not bothering to pay any mind to the students inside as he scanned the room. "There he is." Ryuji pointed out a student in the back. He wore glasses and bandages across his face, Izuku paling at the sight.

"Alright, all we gotta do is make him fess up to the abuse. You ready?" Ryuji asked, turning to Izuku in question.

"Y-yeah, but we should be careful how we approach him with it, though…" Izuku suggested, biting his bottom lip. "I-if he really is too afraid to talk, forcing it out of him won't work."

"Yeah, I get what you mean." Ryuji nodded, holding his chin in thought. "So how about we take a 'good cop, bad cop' approach? Obviously I'll be bad cop then you can come in and be all nice. Sound good?"

"W-wait, don't act too bad, though!" Izuku stuttered, scratching his head. "I mean-"

"Look, man. Bein' nice about it is fine and all, but we gotta be pretty straight forward about it." Ryuji suggested, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Some people need a little pressure before they spill, ya know?"

Izuku took a moment to consider this. He didn't like the idea of forcing it out of people, but Ryuji might be right. If they act too nice about it, the victims might just dismiss them by avoiding the question all together. "A-alright, we'll do it your way…"

"Awesome. Let's do it, then." Ryuji nodded before turning forward and heading straight for the student. Izuku hesitated for a moment, not exactly sure whether they were approaching this the right way or not. Izuku was good at figuring ways out of a mess quickly, but when it came to social interaction, he wasn't exactly the most charming.

"Hey." Ryuji called out, deciding to take the lead. "Got a sec?"

"Huh? Me?" The injured student replied dumbly, blinking at Ryuji in question.

"Yeah. I wanted to find out about those bruises." Ryuji said, wasting no time to get to the point.

"M-my bruises? They're just from practice…" The teen answered warily, hoping to dismiss the conversation.

"Are you sure it was just 'practice' and not Kamoshida abusin' you?" Ryuji bluntly stated, panic quickly covering the teen's face.

"Wh-wha-where'd you get that idea?!" The victim replied defensively as he took a step back from Ryuji.

"W-wait, calm down, it's okay." Izuku spoke up this time, walking up and acting far gentler than his companion. "W-we just want to know what Kamoshida-sensei is doing to you and the rest of the volleyball team. W-we know that he's abusing people…"

"Y-you know..?" The teen muttered, his guard slightly dropping at Izuku's words.

"Yeah. We just need some of you guys to come out and talk about it. We won't tell that asshole who, but-" Ryuji began, only for the player to sigh.

"So you guys don't have any proof…" He muttered, shaking his head. "Just leave me alone… I've got nothin' to say about abuse or whatever… it's nonsense."

"B-but the abuse can stop! Don't you want to-" Izuku tried to urge, only for the teen to snap back.

"You guys don't know anything! Just leave me alone!" he retorted harshly, crossing his arms as he shut his eyes as if trying to ignore their presence. Izuku's shoulders slumped in disappointment before looking toward Ryuji, the faux blond frowning at their defeat.

"Alright. Come on, let's get outta here." Ryuji relented, turning around and starting to leave. Izuku peered back at the battered teen before sighing, following after Ryuji who stopped just outside of the classroom.

"Damn it, just how afraid of him can he be?! If we can get him with this abuse stuff, Kamoshida won't be able to do that shit anymore!" Ryuji snapped in irritation, rubbing his hair.

"I-it may be more than that, Ryuji-sempai…" Izuku muttered, eyes cast to the ground as he tried to think about the possibilities. "St-still… he looked so hurt… how could anyone just take it and not say anything…" His thoughts went to Bakugo's bullying after such a statement. "... actually, I take that back…"

"Huh?" Ryuji blinked in confusion.

"N-nothing, w-we should think of what to do next…." Izuku dismissed, waving his hands dramatically in front of him. "W-we have a few more people to try, right?"

"Yeah, a few. We could technically ask the whole team, but we should probably stick with just who we saw in there." Ryuji suggested, turning to start walking through the hall. "Come on. I know where they should be hangin' at."

"R-right…" Izuku nodded, following after Ryuji quickly. As the two walked, a random thought occurred to Izuku, the green haired teen blinking. "Um… Kamoshida-sensei coaches the girl team too, right?"

"What?" Ryuji blinked, raising a brow as he looked back at the green haired teen. "I mean, yeah, he does. Why do you ask?"

Izuku's gaze fell to the ground as he held his chin in thought. "I-it's nothing, just that… we didn't see any girls in the dungeon, right?"

Ryuji stopped in his tracks for a moment, looking up as he started to remember back to both visits. "I… guess you're right, huh? But he did have that pervy version of Takamaki-san there. Do you think that means somethin'?"

Izuku was silent as he tried to sort this out in his head. "W-well… it could mean that his primary targets of abuse are the male volleyball players…"

"W-well, that's somewhat good at least, right?" Ryuji reasoned half heartedly. It would be depressing to hear that girls fell victim to such brutal abuse like the others did.

"I guess… but the other possibility is that they were just in another part of the castle…" Izuku reasoned, weighing each idea in his head. In all honesty, he'd prefer the former, but with someone like Kamoshida, it wasn't smart to put too much stock in the idea.

"Oh… yeah…" Ryuji trailed off, a frown falling on his lips. "Damn it… there's no knowing what that asshole is fully capable of, huh? Come on, let's hurry up and see who else might be willin' to talk."

"Y-yeah…" Izuku muttered, the two continuing forward. He subconsciously gulped, sweat starting to trail down his eyebrow. _I really hope he hasn't gone that far…_

 **XXxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxXX**

* * *

To say that things weren't going well would be an understatement. Izuku and Ryuji had been similarly shot down the same as with the first victim over and over again. Deciding to try and cover more ground quicker, Izuku and Ryuji split up to talk to more students who were mentioned in rumors. With each encounter, Izuku realized just how beat up all of them were. Some wore casts on their legs, bandages across their faces and similar such injuries. Each time, Izuku felt the pit in his stomach start to deepen. What was worse was alone, it was much harder to get anyone to pay him any mind. At least Ryuji could speak without getting nervous, but the green haired teen couldn't help but sputter every time he approached one of the victims. Surprisingly, though, that wasn't what steered people away so far. Those that he approached thought it was just some act due to his record. Izuku had never been feared before, not like this. Some people might hope for such a reputation, but it definitely wasn't something Izuku enjoyed. How could he help anyone if he was scaring them off?

"Not a single person would talk…" Izuku muttered to himself. Both having unsuccessful attempts, Izuku and Ryuji agreed to meet in the courtyard by the vending machines. Feeling a bit thirsty, Izuku decided to help himself to a drink. "Where do we go from here..?"

"Hey!" Izuku nearly dropped the drink in his hand, fumbling it in the air before catching it desperately. With a sigh of relief, he looked back nervously to see Takamaki standing there staring directly at him.

"M-me?" Izuku meekly asked, shakily pointing at himself.

"Yeah. I wanna talk for a sec. It'll be quick." Takamaki tried to reassure, though it did little to help Izuku's nervousness. His face became a mountain of sweat, eyes cast to the side as he avoided eye contact with the twin tailed blond.

"S-s-sure… wh-what is it?" Izuku struggled to say, hands shaking as he raised his drink to his mouth.

Takamaki raised a brow in question, unsure why the green haired teen was acting so nervous. "Uh… are you okay?"

"Y-ye-yeah! I-I f-felt a chill!" Izuku lied, continuing to sputter as he talked. Takamaki scratched the top of her head in question.

"Oh… well, sorry about that. Anyway, I just wanted to say I heard you and Sakamoto have been talking to people." She said, cutting to the chase. "Not to mention the rumor going around about you. Just a first year and you've already got a lot of attention."

A cloud hovered overhead above Izuku, the obvious rumor of course rearing it's head. "I… we were just-"

"Hey, lay off him, would you?" Izuku glanced back up to see Ryuji approach, glaring slightly at Takamaki. "Guy's already a nervous wreck, you don't gotta make it worse."

"Th-thanks, Ryuji-sempai…" Izuku mumbled dejectedly, once again feeling downcast.

"We're just talking. You're the one who should lay off." The twin tailed blonde retorted, placing a hand on her hip. "Besides, since when are you going out of your way to look out for a junior of ours?"

"We just… ended up becomin' friends, is all. Nothin' really to it." Ryuji shrugged, the circumstances of their first meeting causing him to stumble a bit.

"Well, either way, you two need to back off. Whatever you're trying to pull with Kamoshida, it won't work." Takamaki warned, eyes narrowing at the faux blond.

"Huh? What do you know about it?" Ryuji blinked in surprise.

"You guys have been walking around talking to people about Kamoshida. Of course everyone knows." Takamaki continued. "I'm just giving you both a heads up. Whatever you're doing, give it a rest."

"B-but Takamaki-sempai…" Izuku suddenly spoke up, turning her attention to him. Just from her gaze, Izuku had trouble not reverting back to his previous flustered state. Clearing his throat, he tried to remain as composed as he possibly could. "D-don't you feel like… something is strange with Kamoshida-sensei?"

"Strange? H-how do you mean?" Takamaki blinked. Despite her question, she didn't seem completely confused by his statement.

"I-I saw you talking with Kamoshida-sensei once… and the way you acted when you got in his car…" Izuku mentioned, the twin tailed blonde slightly widening her eyes. "Y-you… don't look like you want to be anywhere near him… is he… doing something to you, too?"

Takamaki's eyes were wide as plates before anger and desperation bubbled forth. "Y-you don't know anything about it!" The volume of her voice had increased considerably, causing Izuku to flinch and Ryuji to blink in shock.

"H-hey! Don't take it out on him!" Ryuji stepped forward between them, though his eyes looked more sympathetic. "Look, whatever that asshole is doin', you can tell us. We're just tryin' to-"

"L-look, I just came here to tell you guys to stop." Takamaki sighed, shutting her eyes for a moment as she seemed to calm down a bit. "I'm sorry for yelling like that, I just… I'm not feeling good." She shot Izuku a slightly apologetic look before turning away. "Just… stop whatever you're trying against Kamoshida… no one's going to help you." With that, the two teens watched as she walked away, a look of remorse covering Izuku's expression.

"I… didn't mean to upset her like that…" Izuku mumbled, scratching the back of his head.

"Nah, it's fine. If anything, that just confirms he's probably just tryin' to use her." Ryuji tried to reassure. "Still, she's aggressive as ever. She was the same way in middle school. But man, that reaction you got outta her tells us a bit, don't you think?"

"Y-yeah… she has her own reasons for being close with Kamoshida-sensei…" Izuku nodded, biting his lower lip. "But still… if she's not willing to tell us about it, it doesn't help…"

"Yeah, true that…" Ryuji relented, huffing in defeat. "Well, I've got one more lead to follow up on. Remember that kid that got spiked in the face? His name's Mishima. He's part of Takamaki's class, too. Apparently he's been gettin' some 'special coaching' from Kamoshida as well."

"Y-you think he'll talk, though?" Izuku muttered, a small frown falling on his lips. "Everyone so far has been avoiding everything I ask… I-I'm not saying we should give up, but…"

"Doesn't hurt to try, at least. Right now, gettin' people to fess up to the abuse is all we can really do, ya know?" Ryuji shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "Maybe tomorrow we can try to think of somethin' else, but until then let's go with what we've got."

Izuku couldn't argue with that. Right now, they were low on options. Nodding in agreement, the two walked forward, heading for the front of school. If they were lucky, they could head off the injured boy before he could take off for the day. _Even if we can't get him to confess, maybe we can still learn something from him…_

"Midori." Izuku felt himself stiffen as he heard the familiar nickname, turning ever so slightly around to see Makoto standing a short ways behind him. She wore a small glare as she looked at him, arms crossed as she tapped her arm.

"K-Koto-san…" Izuku laughed sheepishly as he turned back to his old friend. He knew that look anywhere. She was definitely getting ready to admonish him for something.

"Uh what's goin' on?" Ryuji asked, having hesitated with Izuku when he realized he was being called out.

"I would like a word with Midori-Midoriya-san…" Makoto cleared her throat, trying to sound less casual this time. "Would you mind giving us a moment, Sakamoto-san?"

Uh… sure…" Ryuji bit his lip, not sure if he should leave or not as he looked at Izuku.

"I-it's okay… you should go on ahead and do what we said…" Izuku suggested to the faux blond. Ryuji only hesitated for a moment before nodding, turning around and heading for the main entrance of the school. Turning back to Makoto, Izuku could only laugh sheepishly as he approached Makoto.

"S-so… what's going on, Koto-san?" Izuku asked, trying to act as casual as he could. Obviously, he was failing quite a bit.

"I've received a few complaints about the new transfer student bothering some students with questions. Mind explaining what's going on?" Makoto cut straight to the chase, Izuku gulping as sweat started to build up on his brow.

 _D-damn, I'm not sure if I should tell Koto-san…_ Izuku mused to himself. It wasn't that he didn't trust Makoto with what was going on. It was the opposite, in fact. He would love to have her help in this matter. The problem was that he wasn't sure that he wanted to burden Makoto with everything that was going on. Kamoshida was sure to be looking at him and Ryuji now considering the fact that they were asking questions about him. He'd hate to get her in trouble should something happen.

"I-it's nothing… I-"

"You rarely ever did anything involving others without a reason. I don't buy that." Makoto cut him off, causing Izuku to flinch at the statement. Still, Izuku elected to remain silent. Seeing this, the third year student president sighed. "Look, Midori, I… I'm not trying to be hard. I know it's been a long time since you last saw me, but… don't be afraid to rely on me, okay?"

Izuku's eyes widened at that, feeling a bit regretful that he was keeping this secret from her. It was definitely a fact that Izuku was terrible at keeping secrets from his friends. "... Koto-san… what if I told you that… a teacher at this school was… the one who leaked my criminal record?"

Makoto widened her eyes at that, the weight of his words catching her off guard. "Wh-what? Midori, why would-"

"A-and that same teacher… is abusing students… all for his own amusement?" Izuku forced himself to finish, his hands gripping nervously at his side. Makoto seemed quite appalled by such an insinuation, a bead of sweat rolling down her cheek. Izuku wasn't the type to make up stories.

"Midori…" Makoto spoke slowly, staying collected as she spoke as her expression became serious. "I want you to think very carefully about what you just said. That is **very** dangerous territory to be treading on. Accusing a teacher of abusing students is no small thing."

"I-I know it's not, but…" Izuku released a sigh, trying to compose himself enough to focus as he straightened up, looking at Makoto with a more determined expression. "This teacher… they're hurting students. I know it's true. And today, Ryuji-sempai and I have been trying to get people to admit to it. But… no such luck… they're all afraid of him…" His expression fell at that, eyes cast back to the floor.

Makoto took a moment to think over his words. Izuku might have jumped head first when it came to saving people, but he never did so under false pretense. Casting her gaze down, Makoto began to struggle with the idea that a teacher at her school would actually be doing something so callous. But if Izuku was this serious about it, how could she doubt him?

Makoto took a deep breath before nodding, reaching out and gently placing a gloved hand on his shoulder. "Okay. If you're this serious about it, I'll believe you." Makoto declared, her words causing Izuku to brighten with hope. "And if what you're saying is true, I'd hate to be useless to help students in physical danger. How can I help?"

Izuku felt a small smile edge at the corners of his mouth. "Koto-san…" He muttered before shaking his head and nodding. "R-right now, I'm not sure how much I can ask you to do, but… please keep an open ear. Right now, Ryuji-sempai and I are doing what we can with what we know, but if you're really willing to help us, I'll let you know if I come up with something."

Makoto smiled, feeling happy that Izuku was able to place that familiar trust in her from so long ago. "Okay, then. I'll try to think up something on my side, as well. But first and foremost, who exactly is the teacher you're looking into?"

Izuku's brow furrowed seriously, his smile replaced by a frown of conviction. "Kamoshida-sensei… he's abusing the volleyball team and is the one who leaked my criminal record."

"Kamoshida-sensei..?" Makoto repeated in a bit of shock. She hadn't partaken in any sports, so her interactions with the coach minimal. "He seemed decent before, but… I suppose that I haven't interacted with him very much…"

"He's… he's a terrible person, Koto-san…" Izuku muttered, hands gripping again anxiously. "W-we don't have any proof, but… Ryuji-sempai was set up for failure. He goaded him because he knew Ryuji-sempai would act out, that way he could break his leg without getting questioned. All because he thought that the track team was in the way…"

"Wh-what?" Makoto muttered in shock, a hand covering her mouth. "He went that far..?"

"Yes… and he'll keep hurting and exploiting people if we don't do anything… we have to stop him, Koto-san…" Izuku reaffirmed. His eyes became softer though, his expression becoming more gentle as he spoke. "I-I don't want to get you into trouble by involving you in this, but… if we could get your help in stopping him… that would mean a lot…"

Makoto swallowed at his words. She knew she could trust Izuku. Despite how terrible it would be to find out exactly how much of what he said was real, she knew that Izuku wasn't an idiot or a liar. Nodding, Makoto strengthened her resolve. "Okay… count me in."

Izuku felt his grin return before giving a hard nod. "Alright. Thank you, Koto-san. When I have more to tell you, I will. But for now, I think I need to regroup with Ryuji-sempai, okay?"

"Alright then… perhaps while I'm at it, I'll try and ask around as well. Maybe something will slip up." Makoto agreed, holding her chin in thought. "I'll be sure to keep you in the loop."

"Of course. Again, thank you, Koto-san. It… it really makes me feel better to know you're on our side." Izuku's grin brightened further. Makoto returned the smile, nodding in understanding.

"I'm glad I can be of help. Especially to you, Midori." She chuckled. Izuku felt a familiar sense of trust return to him. It was the same as what he felt when they were only children. He looked up to Makoto for her strength and conviction, and he could see that it was still within her.

Once more, time slowed around him and the chains came into view.

 **I am thou, thou art I**

 **Thou hast acquired a new vow.**

 **It shall become the wings of rebellion**

 **That breaketh thy chains of captivity.**

 **With the birth of the Priestess Persona,**

 **I have obtained the winds of Blessing**

 **that shall lead to freedom and new power…**

Izuku felt a bit appreciative that the vow was recited in his ear once again. Not because of the power it supposedly granted, but because of the rekindling of their friendship. He continued to smile as time resumed, watching as Makoto started to move again.

"Oh, before you go though, we should get each other's numbers." Makoto suggested, pulling out her cellphone. "If we're going to be partners in this, we should be able to keep in touch."

"O-oh, you're right… okay…" Izuku nodded, quickly fumbling in his pocket for his phone and pulling it out. The two quickly exchanged call ID's and numbers, now fully capable of communicating.

"Alright, I think you should get going. I'm sure Sakamoto-san is waiting for you." Makoto suggested, turning around to leave. "I've got a few things of my own to do, but… thank you for speaking with me, Midori."

"O-of course! Th-thank you for listening, Koto-san!" Izuku nodded, watching as the older brunette departed down the hallway. After a moment or two to process though, Izuku felt his face slowly start to drip with sweat and turn a rosy red. "W-w-wait, di-did I just exchange a number with a… girl?" Just from uttering those words, Izuku's face lit up like a christmas tree. He shook his head furiously, hands gripping his hair as he tried to destroy the thought.

"Th-this is different! K-Koto-san has always been different…" Izuku told himself, the mantra doing surprisingly well to calm him down. Makoto had always been a separate case from most girls to Izuku. Why? Probably because of the conditions of how they met and his original impression of her. As they grew as friends, Izuku had been able to act quite normally around her in contrast to the nervous wreck he becomes around other girls.

"Hey…" Izuku snapped out of his thoughts when he heard a voice call out, quickly turning around to see Ryuji approaching him. The faux blond looked rather dejected, a heavy frown on his face.

"I'm… guessing it didn't go very well?" Izuku muttered knowingly, Ryuji releasing a deep sigh in answer.

"Worse than that. When I was talkin' to Mishima, I almost got somethin' outta him. But then Kamoshida showed up." Ryuji explained, Izuku's eyes widening when he heard that. "The bastard even pressured Mishima into going to practice even after spiking him in the face. But… that wasn't even the worst of it…"

"Wh-what? Worse how?" Izuku asked, afraid that Kamoshida might have pulled some strings just to get them in trouble. At this point, he would be surprised by such a conspiracy.

"From what Mishima said… everyone knows." Izuku stiffened at Ryuji's answer. "The principal, the parents… everyone knows about the abuse, but aren't sayin' anything!"

"Wh-what? But why… why would they…" Izuku began to mutter and then it hit him. Kamoshida was the king of the school thanks to his success as a coach who got his team to nationals. For the school, it was because a teacher was able to give them renown through a sport. For the parents, it acts as some sort of 'security' in the child's future. Not that any of those were even close to good enough to excuse Kamoshida's actions in any way.

Still, Izuku didn't want to believe that such was the case. In this society where justice prevailed over such evils, what kind of adults would let such cruelty reign? "K-Kamoshida-sensei… maybe he lied to those he's hurting… convinced them that their parents a-and the principal don't care what happens to them..?" Izuku tried to reason.

Ryuji looked almost as reluctant as he did. It was hard to wrap your head around such a terrible concept when the people who were supposed to help you ended up turning a blind eye. "I… I don't know, man… I don't know who to believe on that one…"

Silence fell between the two as they processed the information. They hadn't gained any proof, and what was worse it seemed like they wouldn't be getting any from the students. Sure, Izuku had secured Makoto's aid, but would that be enough?

"Let's just… call it a day from here, yeah?" Ryuji suggested, his voice low on energy. "Tomorrow I got a couple guys we can still hit up about the abuse, but after that… I dunno…"

Izuku glanced back up at Ryuji and gave a somber nod. "Okay… I'll try to think up something tonight… hopefully sleeping on it might help…" he muttered, though there was little hope in his words. With that, the two went their separate ways, their failure to gain any evidence weighing on them for the rest of the day.

 **To be continued…**

 **Alright, finally done! I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to get this chapter done by Tuesday night (which technically I didn't since it's past midnight lol) but thankfully I was able to get it done!**

 **Quick reminder though, starting this week I have finally started college again, so my updates will not be nearly as consistent as they have been. I'm going to try and write at the same time, but considering that I'm likely to have fairly busy weeks coming up, don't count on them being out as quickly as they have been through summer.**

 **This chapter was quite a bit longer in content than I was shooting for, but I think that's fine considering the note I'm leaving you all on. Hopefully, like my first semester did, my class will continue to motivate me to keep writing as often as I did through summer the same way.**

 **Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, please leave me a follow, a favorite and a review if you'd be so kind!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Ann Takamaki never had many friends throughout her days of school. Often times, people would shy away from her because of her looks. It was no secret that she was of foreign descent, which explained her natural blond hair. But that had only been the start of things. Now, with the rumor running around about her supposed affair with Kamoshida, students seemed even more liable to ignore her. The whispers and the odd stares never went unnoticed by Ann, and sometimes she wondered how she got by.

Sitting next to her was her best answer: Shiho Suzui. Her one and only best friend since middle school. Sure, she had made some casual friends now and again, one such as Ryuji Sakamoto until their eventual divide due to classes. But only one had persisted through the years, and that was Shiho. Shiho was a pretty young woman, with long brown hair held up in a pony tail with matching eyes. Unlike most girls, she wore the school's uniform without the blazer, instead a beige sweater replacing it.

Most of Ann's relationship with her, she had known Shiho to be jovial, kind, carefree… but not today. Not recently, to be more accurate. She had always seemed tired whenever Ann was with her, and she often looked dejected or even lifeless. It would take some rousing from Ann to get her to come out of it a bit, but today didn't seem to work with her.

"Are you sure you're okay? I think you might be pushing yourself too hard in practice…" Ann muttered in concern, reaching over and rubbing her best friend's shoulder.

"I-it's nothing… I've just been tired lately, is all…" Shiho lamely excused, having used that line more than Ann could ount over the past few weeks.

A concerned frown covered her face, but Ann said nothing. An idea suddenly popped in her head, the platinum blonde giving a playful smile. "Hey, why don't you play hookie today? Let's go around the town, me and you. You look like you could use some time to relax."

Shiho seemed to rouse at this, looking up at Ann for a moment in contemplation. A brief smile flashed across her face before dread took over, her eyes falling back to the ground. "N-no… I-I shouldn't miss practice. Volley ball is… the only thing I'm good at, after all."

Ann frowned again, both at her friend's dejected tone and at the bruise she caught sight ove above her eye. "Hey… that bruise on your eye, where'd that come from?"

Shiho almost unnoticably widened her eyes, reaching up and touching tthe purple skin and cringing. "I-it's from practice… I fell and hurt myself a bit."

"Oh, okay…" Ann accepted, though part of her wasn't so sure about the excuse. She remembered the words from Ryuji and the transfer student, Midoriya. They had warned her about some sort of abuse from Kamoshida. Did that bruise have any relation to that?

A sudden ring in her pocket brought Ann out of her thoughts, a feeling of dread filling her. She wasn't sure how, but Ann knew exactly who it was.

"Aren't you going to get that?" Shiho asked, raising a brow at the blonde.

"Nah, it's probably just my part-time job. They can wait." Ann dismissed, waving a hand.

Shiho nodded, not giving the phone much thought after that. "I… should be going. Practice will start soon." The limited energy in her voice only made Ann more concerned, watching her friend stand up.

"Shiho.. Are you sure nothing's wrong?" Ann asked again, hoping to get her friend to open up a little.

"Yep." Shiho answered shortly, not looking back at her best friend as she started to walk away. "I'll see you later, Ann."

"Okay…" Ann sighed, standing up after her and watching her leave. Deciding she couldn't take listening to her ringtone much longer, Ann reached in her pocket and pulled out her phone. Much to her chagrin, it was exactly who she was expecting on the other line. _Of course…_ Ann knew she couldn't just flat out ignore him though, bringing the phone to her ear and answering. "Hey… sorry, not today, I… I don't feel very good… sorry, bye…" She took a breath of relief as the call ended, stuffing her phone away again. With that, Ann took off for home, seeing little reason she had to stay any longer. She'd hate to run into Kamoshida personally.

* * *

Izuku sighed as he looked at his phone, moving mechanically through the halls toward the courtyard. Ever since the revelation that the staff and parents might actually know about the abuse, the green haired teen couldn't help but feel downtrodden. What hope they originally had before of getting Kamoshida for the abuse seemed to slip away the more Izuku thought it over. With what damage students seemed to have just from the 'practices', how could any parent not question what was going on? The answer to that question filled Izuku with dread. How could any parent let their child suffer such things?

Still, Izuku and Ryuji were hanging onto the hope that perhaps one of the students were still willing to talk. Izuku was currently texting the faux blond, the two discussing their next plan of action.

 _Ryuji: i'm gonna look into the last two guys on the list._

 _Ryuji: meet me at the vending machines in 15, mkay?_

 _Izuku: Okay, I'll see you there._

Izuku hadn't paid much attention to where he was walking, eyes focused on his phone as he suddenly bumped into someone, jumping in surprise as he recoiled back and looked up at the person, waving his arms in apology. "A-ah, sorry! I-I wasn't paying attention!" He exclaimed, quickly bowing in apology.

"N-no… it's okay, don't worry about it." Izuku looked back up to see a dark haired girl with a pony tail in front of him, a bruise over her left eye. "I was lost in thought, too…"

"A-ah, I see…" Izuku muttered, coughing into his hand as he tried to compose himself. _T-try not to freak out! T-think of it like t-talking to K-Koto-san!_ He mentally urged, straightening up as rubbed the back of his head. "W-well, I should be go…" Izuku stopped the moment his eyes landed on the bruise. Looking at it now, it didn't seem like something that you naturally hurt yourself getting. "A-are you alright? Y-you look hurt…" Izuku muttered, inspecting the bruise.

"Huh?" The girl blinked in question before her hand subconsciously reached up to the bruise. "O-oh… it's nothing… don't worry, you didn't cause it or anything…" She muttered, now covering it up with her palm. She inspected Izuku for a moment before raising a brow. "You don't look very familiar… are you the first year transfer student?"

Izuku winced when he heard that, casting his gaze down to the floor. "Y-yes... " he mumbled out, knowing that she likely heard about his criminal record. It seemed like he could barely go an hour in this school without facing some sort of ridicule over such.

"I see. Well, don't let what people say get to you, okay?" The girl declared, her words causing Izuku to blink and look back up at her in shock. "I know that things can get pretty bad when you've been labeled, so try not to let what people say bother you."

Izuku had to admit, he was surprised that this girl he'd barely met was now offering him advice and comfort. Most of the students were content with ignoring or shunning him completely. But this girl was actually quite kind, and he could hear her genuine concern. Giving a small smile, Izuku did his best to hold back any tears of joy he might feel from this small encounter. "Th-thank you… I-I'll try my best not to…"

"That's good to hear. I hope things will get better." She said, giving a small smile. "My best friend is judged and misunderstood because of her looks, so I know that it's not easy for others once they've been labeled like that."

"Y-yeah…" Izuku smiled, showing his appreciation for the kind words she shared with him. "T-thank you… it means a lot to hear that…" He sniffled, wiping his eyes in his sleeve to cover up the tears. "I-I'm Izuku Midoriya…"

"Shiho. Shiho Suzui." She introduced before looking back at her phone and frowning. "O-oh… I'm sorry but I have to go to practice… it was nice to meet you, Midoriya-kun."

"S-same here, Suzui-sempai. I-I'll see you around!" Izuku nodded, stepping aside so she could pass him and smiling. She flashed him a brief smile before frowning again as she walked forward, causing the green haired teen to blink as he watched her leave. It was strange to see her transition from quiet kindness to what looked like obligatory movement. It was obvious she was dragging her feet as she walked, but why was the question. If Suzui's expression was any indicator, she wasn't looking forward to her practice. Izuku opened his mouth to call out, but held back. It wasn't his business. He had barely met the girl, after all. Still, she had been quite nice, even though she was aware of the rumors surrounding him. Izuku couldn't help but feel a bit concerned.

"Hey, Izuku." The green haired tene turned around after hearing his name called, Ryuji standing some ways away in the courtyard. "Everything cool?"

"Huh?" Izuku mumbled out before shaking his head, offering a nod in dismissal. "Y-yeah, I'm okay. W-was I making you wait?"

"Naw, just saw you on my way here. Come on, let's get a drink at least." Ryuji ushered, his tone sounding defeated as he spoke. He led the younger teen to the vending machines, sighing as he put in some money and pressed a few buttons. "So, as I'm sure you can tell, I got nothin' outta those guys."

"Y-yeah, after what Mishima-san said, it's not surprising if they've all been silenced like that…" Izuku admitted, casting his gaze to the floor. "B-but I don't want to believe that parents would let that kind of thing go on…"

"Me either, but… it's not unheard of for parents to look the other way so long as it means their kid gets by…" Ryuji admitted, scratching the back of his head in frustration. "But damn it, if no one confesses, then we really are outta options."

"Well… we could try and catch Kamoshida-sensei in the act…" Izuku suggested, holding his chin in thought. Immediately, memories of the night with the drunk who accused him flashed before his eyes, the green haired teen wincing visibly. "B-but… Kamoshida-sensei is probably really cautious. And if we get caught, he'll likely force the student to testify against us…"

"Oh… yeah, huh?" Ryuji sighed, his own expression faltering the more they talked about their weak chances. "Damn it, I don't want it to end like this. There's got to be a way to figure a way around this."

"Well… Koto-san is supposed to meet us here soon. One other option I thought of was… seeing if we could confirm whether or not the principal is-"

"Wait, you actually brought her in on this?!" Ryuji blurted in shock, Izuku blinking in confusion. Suddenly he realized it. He had completely forgotten to inform Ryuji the day before that he asked for Makoto's help, a bead of sweat rolling down his brow as he laughed nervously.

"S-sorry, I t-totally forgot to tell you… K-Koto-san was willing to help and… I thought it would be okay if we got more people on our side!" Izuku suggested with a hopeful grin. Ryuji grumbled as he crossed his arms in thought, leaning his back against the vending machine.

"I… guess that makes sense. We do pretty much have nothing at this point…" Ryuji admitted, scratching the back of his head. "But are you sure about this? I know you said she was your pal from a while back, but from what I hear, Nijima-sempai is one of those teacher's pet types. She might not be willing to go against a teacher, ya know."

Izuku blinked at his words before furrowing his brow seriously, shaking his head. "N-no, I don't believe that. Before Koto-san moved away, she was just like me… she wanted to be a hero." Izuku declared, causing Ryuji to raise a brow in surprise. "She wouldn't let something so terrible go on. I believe that with all my heart."

Ryuji bit his bottom lip for a moment before nodding in acceptance. "Well, if you say so, then. Still, just relyin' on her talkin' to Kobayakawa doesn't sit right with me. There any other ways we can nail that guy for all the abuse?"

Izuku looked down in thought again, trying his best to formulate some sort of plan for them. "Well, even if Koto-san is able to determine that the principal isn't hiding the abuse, it will be difficult to convince the students of that. Their parents might be in on it even without him. But if the worst case scenario turns out to be true, then we have little else to try. We'd have to expose him by recording it, but after all this time I doubt he's so careless. We'd have to figure out where it takes place, when would be a perfect time to try and spy, and make sure he doesn't find us…"

"Uh, dude, you're doing it again." Ryuji chuckled as his words brought Izuku back from the brink, the teen blinking owlishly at Ryuji as his face flushed from embarrassment.

"You know, there is one option still open to you guys."

Ryuji and Izuku paused, the voice belonging to neither of them. Izuku and Ryuji looked around in question, only to find that there was no one nearby in the courtyard. "Uh, was that you?"

"N-no, it wasn't. But the voice sounded familiar…" Izuku admitted, scratching the back of his head.

"Down here, geniuses." Izuku and Ryuji looked to their feet, both raising a brow in question when they saw a normal looking house cat standing there. "I haven't seen you guys for a bit, so I was wondering how your progress was going."

It became rather obvious that it wasn't a normal house cat the moment it talked.

"D-dude! Did the cat just talk?!" Ryuji blurted out, taking a step back from the feline. Izuku had recoiled as well, but the familiarity of the voice struck him quite quickly.

"M-M-Morgana-san?!" Izuku stuttered out in realization.

"Oh good, at least one of you got it." Morgana sighed, jumping on top of the picnic table between them. "Then again, you have always been quick on uptake."

"Wait a sec-what?! You sayin' the cat is **that** stupid cat?!" Ryuji blanched.

"Hey!" Morgana snapped, spinning around and glaring up at Ryuji. "Who are you calling stupid?! I don't want to hear that coming from you!"

"I-it really is you, Morgana-san!" Izuku said, taking a step closer as he watched the cat in question. "Wh-what are you doing here? H-how did you get here?!"

"I came to check up on you guys. I wanted to make sure you'd still come through on our deal, after all." Morgana chuckled, straightening up on all paws and wiping his face on his paw. "Besides, I had a feeling you guys might need my help for your predicament."

"That condesendin' attitude… yep, that's Morgana alright." Ryuji sighed, shaking his head. "But looks like we were right. You really are a cat."

"I am **not** a cat!" Morgana snapped back in annoyance. "And how could you still doubt me after hearing me speak?!"

"Hey! Quiet down, we don't want anyone to-"

"Midori!" Ryuji and Izuku jumped when they heard Makoto's voice, the green haired teen glancing sideways to see the third year student waving to him from the opposite building across the courtyard.

"A-ah, K-Koto-san!" Izuku waved back nervously before snapping his head back to Ryuji and Morgana. "Q-quick! We have to hide you, Morgana-san!"

"What? Why?!" Morgana blinked in surprise, standing on his paw toes anxiously.

"Why do you think?! We're not gonna freak out Nijima-sempai with an effin' talking cat!" Ryuji whisper shouted, reaching forward and grabbing Morgana by the scruff of his neck. "Quick, Izuku, gimme your bag!"

"Wh-what?! My bag?!" Izuku blanched in a whisper as well, handing his bag over despite the protest.

"Just for now! Make sure you keep quiet, got it?" Ryuji told the feline, Morgana struggling in his grip.

"Don't you dare-!" Morgana hissed before being stuffed in the confines of the school bag, Ryuji quickly zipping it up before he could further protest. Ryuji and Izuku quickly adjusted themselves to look as casual as possible as Makoto walked up to them. The brunette senior was looking around for something, not immediately looking at the two as she approached.

"H-hey, student prez! Whatcha lookin' for?" Ryuji asked awkwardly, clearing his throat as he spoke.

"Oh, nothing, I suppose. I just thought I heard a cat meowing close by…" Makoto hummed as she looked around the courtyard, shrugging as she dismissed the idea. "Perhaps I was just hearing things."

"A cat..?" Izuku blinked in surprise, gaze trailing back to his bag. _Was she hearing Morgana? But he was talking plainly only a moment ago…_

"I suppose it's nothing." Makoto dismissed before looking back at the two. "So, you wanted to speak about our previous discussion, correct?"

"A-ah, yeah…" Ryuji nodded numbly, deciding to leave his questions regarding Morgana for later. "Izuku here tells me you wanna help us out?"

"That's right. I… decided to do some digging of my own and spoke to a few of the students part of the volleyball team." Makoto admitted, rubbing her arm sheepishly as she looked back at Izuku. "Sorry I didn't tell you, I just wanted to see the students for myself… a lot of them are heavily injured, and when I asked how they got them, they were quick to act defensive. I believed you when you told me of the abuse, but… seeing the injuries for myself, it just confirmed it further."

"So you really do believe us?! You see why we gotta take this asshole down?!" Ryuji exclaimed, his spirits lifting now that the two finally had someone who believed in them. After two days of back to back dismissal, some reassurance of their stance went a long way with Ryuji.

"That's right. I can't let this go unanswered. If a teacher, or anyone for that matter, is hurting students like this, I want to help stop them as much as I can." Makoto declared, giving a reassuring smile.

Izuku felt a warm smile cross his lips, giving a hard nod of acceptance. "Of course! We'll be counting on you!" Izuku was happy to hear Makoto confirm her aid. Not that he ever doubted that she would in the first place. Looking over at Ryuji, he could see that the faux blond had some of his doubts assuaged by her words.

"Okay then… you're one of us, now!" Ryuji declared, giving a dumb grin of his own. "Hope you don't mind lookin' like a troublemaker, though. Right now, me and this guy got that label plastered on our backs."

"That's fine with me. Besides, if I wanted to dismiss it, I would just say that I'm attempting to help two delinquents get on the right path." Makoto giggled, a bead of sweat forming on both Ryuji and Izuku's heads. "I'm just joking. Anyways, is there anything I can do to be of assistance right now?"

"Y-yes. I wanted to know if you could speak to Kobayakawa-sensei about all of this." Izuku suggested, sighing as he looked to the ground. "From what some of the players told us… the principal and even the parents know about the abuse… but are letting it happen."

Makoto's eyes widened in disbelief, her hand hovering over her mouth. "W-wait… the principal and the parents? Are you serious?"

"Yeah, that's what Mishima and a couple other guys told me today when I asked 'em about it." Ryuji confirmed, nodding solemnly. "We don't know if Kamoshida has been fillin' their heads with lies or if it's really the truth."

"That's why we want you to see if you can find out for us from the principal himself." Izuku spoke up again. "You probably shouldn't ask him straight out, but maybe try asking him to look into the abuse. Maybe even lie about someone saying they came to you and confessed. You'll be able to discern where he stands depending on how he answers you."

"I… I see." Makoto hummed with hesitation, a bit of sweat trailing down her cheek. "I'll… I'll get to the bottom of this. Hopefully, it's like you said and that it's just Kamoshida's lies. But either way, I'll find the truth of the matter."

"That'd be great. Because if it turns out that Kamoshida is just bullshitting, then we've at least got somewhere to go if we actually do get 'em to talk." Ryuji sighed in relief, but his eyes faltered a bit as he looked at the ground. "But if it's really true… then we won't have much of a chance…"

Makoto held her chin in thought for a moment, most likely thinking over the idea a bit. She wanted to think of any alternative available, but guessed that Izuku had considered many other options as well. Finally, Makoto nodded and looked up at them again. "Okay. Tomorrow I'll speak with the principal. He's already left for the day, but I should be able to get a hold of him in the morning before classes start."

"That's all we can ask for. Oh, and make sure not to bring either of us up, okay?" Ryuji motioned to himself and Izuku. "If it turns out that he is in on it, then he'll probably start lookin' for a reason to get rid of us."

"Th-thank you again, Koto-san. I hope we don't cause too much trouble for you by asking this." Izuku thanked her again, the brunette shaking her head in dismissal.

"No, it's fine. I'm glad I can do something helpful." Makoto offered a kind smile before looking down at a watch on her wrist. "Well, I have to get going. Text me if anything changes, and I'll do the same."

"Alright, I will!" Izuku nodded offering a smile as he waved goodbye. With that, Makoto walked away from the two, Ryuji breathing out in relief.

"Well, I guess you were right about her. We at least got someone else to believe in us." Ryuji smirked, looking back at the green haired teen.

"If she's gone, let me out!" A muffled voice cried out in annoyance, Izuku and Ryuji blinking for a moment in question before immediately looking at his bag.

"O-oh, sorry Morgana-san!" Izuku apologized, quickly unzipping the bag and watching as the cat desperately popped it's head out for air.

"I honestly almost forgot we put ya in there." Ryuji chuckled carelessly, earning a glare from the feline.

"You jerks! You realize how hot it is in that bag?!" Morgana complained, propping its legs up on the edge of the bag.

"S-s-sorry!" Izuku squeaked out again, rubbing the back of his head nervously. "B-but it was strange… earlier, it sounded like Koto-san only heard meowing rather than you talking…"

"Oh yeah. I confirmed that earlier, too." Morgana declared knowingly. "I walked up to some pedestrians on my way here and tried to talk to them. From the look of it, only you two can actually understand what I say. Everyone else just sees me as a cat."

"W-wait, really? Only us?" Ryuji blinked in shock, scratching the top of his head. "Does it have somethin' to do with goin' to that other world?"

"Possibly. I don't know the exact details of it myself, though. It's probably just safe to assume that whoever visits the metaverse is capable of hearing me." Morgana shrugged.

"S-still… we should probably go somewhere else to talk." Izuku suggested, looking around the courtyard to see other students passing by. "If a teacher catches us with you on campus, we might get into some trouble."

"Oh, I know. Let's head up to the roof." Ryuji suggested, looking back at Morgana. "Get back in the bag. We've gotta carry you through school and don't need people seein' you."

"Oh, not again! Come on!" Morgana complained as Ryuji reached forward and shoved his head back down before zipping it up. Izuku chuckled sheepishly as the faux blond handed him his shoulder bag before the two walked forward. Thankfully Morgana had been quiet as they moved through the school, the two easily getting to the roof without any trouble. Once they reached the rooftop, Izuku gently set the bag on the ground, unzipping it for the cat to breath again. "Geez, give me a second to get ready if you're going to do that!"

"We'd just be wastin' time." Ryuji rolled his eyes, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"M-Morgana-san. Earlier, you said that there was another option open to us, right?" Izuku asked, getting straight to the point. "W-what exactly do you mean?"

"You were pretty on the nose about it back in the castle." Morgana pointed out, leaning forward on the bag. "You can make changes to the real Kamoshida if you alter something in his Palace, though it would be fairly drastic."

"O-oh yeah, I remember you brought that up…" Ryuji muttered, scratching the side of his head. "But didn't you say we weren't strong enough to try for that?"

"Originally we weren't. But now that you have a Persona as well, our chances of success have shot up tremendously." Morgana declared, crossing his paws. "Although one more person would be nice, that option isn't really available to us. That is, unless you wanted to see if your friend was willing to join us, too." he said, glancing at Izuku.

"Huh?" Izuku blinked in confusion before it clicked. "K-Koto-san?! N-no! I wouldn't ask her that, it's too dangerous!" He dismissed, shaking his head. "I-I felt bad about getting Koto-san involved in the first place. I don't want to put her in real danger as well!"

"Yeah, plus, we don't know if she'd even get a Persona just by goin' with us." Ryuji suggested, not liking the idea of taking the girl any more than Izuku. "But then again… what's her Quirk? She might be able to fend for herself without one."

"H-her Quirk?" Izuku blinked before scratching his head. "W-well… it's true that her Quirk could be considered hero class, but…"

"Wait, hero class?! Are you serious?!" Ryuji blinked in shock, causing Morgana to raise a furry brow in curiosity.

"What does it mean to have a hero class Quirk?" He asked, Ryuji turning to him quickly.

"That means she's got somethin' super amazing like Endeavor or somethin'!" Looking up in thought, Ryuji held a finger up. "O-oh, dude, I remember that she's always wearin' gloves, too! Does she got some sorta death touch maybe? Or-or maybe like-"

"R-Ryuji-sempai, we're not asking Koto-san to go with us!" Izuku cut him off, shaking his head furiously. "I-I don't want to risk her getting hurt, even if she is really strong…"

Ryuji opened his mouth to argue but bit his tongue, deciding that Izuku was most likely right. He wouldn't feel good if they did somehow get Makoto to agree to come along and ended up getting hurt. "Yeah, I guess you're right… sorry…"

"Well, regardless, with the three of us, I think we'll be fine so long as we're careful." Morgana reassured, deciding to get back on topic. "As I was saying, making changes to the castle would alter Kamoshida. Well, when I say changes, I mean completely erase the castle from the cognitive world."

"Wait, erase the castle?!" Ryuji blanched in shock. "How the hell would we do that?!"

"If you would shut up and let me finish, I'll tell you." Morgana sighed, glancing at Izuku who seemed similarly stunned. "Do you remember what the castle represents?"

"Y-yes, his way of seeing the school, and his… distorted desires…" Izuku mumbled to himself, trailing off as a light bulb clicked on above his head. "And… if the castle that represents those desires is removed… then so will the desires in his heart…" He said quietly, putting the pieces together.

"Precisely. Nice job putting all that together." Morgana chuckled with a pleased nod.

"W-wait, so what does that mean?!" Ryuji blurted out, still confused. "D-does that mean he'll be a better person?!"

"That's very likely. Considering that the desires he has would completely disappear along with the castle, you can be sure that it would have that effect on the Kamoshida of the real world." Morgana explained further for him.

"W-wow, really?" Ryuji hummed before looking to the side in thought. "But wait… is that really gettin' back at him for what he's been doing?"

"Th-think of it this way, Ryuji-sempai." Izuku spoke up again, looking up at Ryuji in thought. "If Kamoshida-sensei's desires are removed, then it would just leave him as a man who had done a lot of terrible things… and they'll weigh on his heart."

"His heart wouldn't be able to bear the weight of those sins and would force him to confess to the crimes himself!" Morgana finished for Izuku, sounding quite proud of the statement. "And once that Palace is gone, there will be no trace of what we did and no evidence of our involvement."

"Are you for real?! Th-that's amazing!" Ryuji grinned like an idiot, quickly turning to Izuku. "Dude, you know what that means?! We'll be able to get him without any sorta backlash on what we do!" Despite Ryuji's excitement, Izuku's expression was crestfallen, eyes directed at the ground as he held his chin in thought. "Wh-what's wrong?"

"Is it… really okay to change his heart like that, though?" Izuku muttered, glancing at Ryuji from the side. "I-I mean… I know it would be putting a stop to his crimes, but… would it really be okay for us to go that far?"

"Dude, it would mean puttin' an end to the abuse! All the people he's hurtin' would be free of him! What more could you ask for?" Ryuji suggested, resting a hand on his hip.

"I-it's not that… I want to help everyone he's hurting, but…" Izuku bit his bottom lip, eyes shaded by his hair. "Changing his heart… it sounds like we'll be brainwashing him… and I don't know if that's right… it's not what a hero would do…"

"In a way, it really is brainwashing." Morgana confirmed with a nod, his words causing Ryuji to blink. "But this begs the question: are you willing to do what it takes to make sure those kids are freed from him? Or are you willing to let what he does go on because you're not sure if it's right or not?"

"Plus, think of it this way! It's not like we're killin' him by doin' this!" Ryuji reasoned with a hopeful grin, turning to look at Morgana. "There's no chance of that happenin', right?"

Morgana didn't answer immediately, his eyes trailing to the side. "Well… that was going to be the next thing I mention…"

"Wait, what?!" Ryuji blanched again, Izuku's eyes becoming alert as he raised his head to look at the cat.

"Quiet and let me finish!" Morgana admonished before sighing. "Look, we're essentially erasing someone's desires by doing this. But desires are linked with everything we need to survive. The desire to sleep, eat, fall in love-those sort of things. All are linked to desires. When all of that is erased, it can lead to someone shutting down entirely. It may even lead to death if not given the proper care."

"What?! They could die?!" Ryuji shouted again in shock. Izuku was stunned into silence, his eyes widening as he paled at the thought. "Would that… would his death be our fault if we did it?" Ryuji asked, glancing at Izuku. The green haired teen looked terribly shaken, gulping as he visibly trembled.

"Isn't that a risk you're willing to take? Aren't you both determined enough to make that choice?" Morgana asked with narrowed eyes, looking confident in his words. "Plus, it's not like it's for sure that they would die. It just runs the risk of it."

"No." Izuku spoke up finally, his voice slightly rigid as both Morgana and Ryuji turned their attention back to him. "N-no… I'm not willing to risk his life to stop him… it… it would make us no better than him… no better than **villains** if we went that far!" Izuku snapped out, his eyes filled with furious tears. "I want to stop him with all my heart, but I… if I caused his death trying to do that… then how could I ever look at myself again?!" He shouted, grinding his teeth in frustration.

"I-Izuku…" Ryuji muttered, frowning in sympathy. Speaking honestly, he felt somewhat the same. He hated Kamoshida, probably more than anyone else did, but to kill him? Even he wouldn't feel good about going so far.

"W-we'll stop him another way…" Izuku continued, sniffling as he reached up with his arm and wiped away the snot and tears. "I-I won't… I won't kill him just to stop him…"

It was silent between the three after that. Morgana wanted to continue arguing his case, but decided against it. He could see what kind of heart that Izuku had, gentle and caring. It was unfair to put that kind of pressure on such a good person. To make them decide to risk killing their enemy even though it goes against everything they believe in. Still, it did dishearten Morgana a bit.

"Y-yeah… I'm with Izuku on this…" Ryuji relented, the green haired teen slowly looking up at the faux blond. "We'll find another way to take him down… killin' Kamoshida wouldn't sit right with me, either…"

"Like I said, it only runs the chance of happening!" Morgana breathed in frustration, now a bit remiss that his idea was suddenly being shot down by both teens. "It's not a clear cut thing!"

"E-even if it isn't, it's not worth it…" Izuku shook his head, looking away from the cat. "I-I won't be a villain… just because I can't be a hero…"

Morgana bit his bottom lip and let out a rather cat like hiss of annoyance. "Fine! I can't believe I came all the way here just to hear this…" he snapped, turning around and taking his leave of the two. "I'm going to be sticking around for a bit… if you two decide in the next couple days that you're willing to do what needs to be done, let me know."

"H-hey, wait!" Ryuji called out, only for Morgana to run down the stairs before they could stop him. Ryuji bit his bottom lip and sighed, shaking his head. "How the hell does he expect us to contact him? Well… I guess that's that. I mean, I wouldn't mind the change of heart thing so much, but… killing him…"

"The change of heart was difficult enough to look at from a moral standpoint…" Izuku admitted quietly, shaking his head. "But to kill him would be… too far."

"Yeah…" Ryuji agreed, letting out a sigh of defeat. "Listen, we haven't completely lost yet. Nijima-sempai said she'll be checking in with the principal. And tomorrow, I'm gonna take a crack at Takamaki again and her friend, Suzui."

Izuku blinked, the name immediately catching his attention. "S-Suzui-sempai? How is she..?"

"You know her?" Ryuji asked with a bit of surprise.

"N-not really, we only just met in the hall." Izuku admitted, scratching the back of hs head. "B-but she was really nice to me… even tried to make me feel better about the rumors going around…"

"Yeah, Suzui's always been a nice girl." Ryuji nodded, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "I've known her as long as Takamaki. But apparently now there's a rumor going around about her and Kamoshida now. I know I haven't seen much of 'em lately, but I don't believe for a second that bastard is either of their types, ya know?"

"Yeah… I see what you mean…" Izuku nodded slowly, hoping that the kind girl from before wasn't completely mixed up in all of this like the other students. "Th-then we should talk to them both soon as possible. Takamaki-sempai might be more open with us if we try again."

"Sounds like a plan. Not that we had many other options." Ryuji gave said, giving a weak laugh in response before pulling his bag tighter against his shoulder. "Well, I'm gonna head out. I have to pick up some groceries for my mom on the way home. Not much else we can do here, anyway."

"O-okay, I'll head out with you, at least..." With little else to discuss, the two left the school, their walk together relatively silent. Izuku knew that their options were limited. That the easiest out to all of this would likely be the change of heart. But to go that far and possibly kill Kamoshida? That was a dangerous line to cross. It wasn't unheard of for heroes to kill in times of necessity, but was this really the only option left to them? Izuku just hoped he wouldn't become that desperate.

Izuku had bid his goodbye to Ryuji, departing from the faux blond at the convenience store. Hoping to distract himself from the previous discussion, Izuku busied away at his phone, looking up any local hero stories that might have happened during the day. It was the best he could do at this point, hoping to put his mind at ease over everything he had heard.

"Mount Lady makes her television debut… Endeavor makes questionable move in stopping robbers… illegal Quirk user and self proclaimed idol Pop Step escapes authorities again…" Izuku mumbled to himself, going through the article titles in hopes of finding something that would catch his eye. Releasing a sigh, Izuku stuffed his phone back into his pocket. "It's no use… I'm just not in the mood…" He muttered, walking down the stairs that led to his train's gate.

"I already told you no! I-I'm not feeling up to it, okay?!"

Izuku blinked as he heard a familiar voice shout, glancing sideways and blinking to see Ann Takamaki standing a few meters away, phone to her head as she stomped her foot in frustration.

"Wait, what?! That's not what you said! You promised that… and you call yourself a teacher?!" The volume of her voice raised, enough to make Izuku almost flinch back. He knew he shouldn't be listening in, but the moment he heard teacher, it was easy to guess who Anne was talking to.

"You can't bring her into this! Shiho hasn't-" Ann complained, only to be cut off again as the line went dead. Tears threatened at the edge of her eyes, the blonde biting her bottom lip as she crouched and smothered her face in her arms. "No… Shiho…"

"T-Takamaki-sempai…" Izuku found himself calling out, nervously shuffling forward. Ann jumped at hearing her name, quickly wiping her eyes and standing up from her crouched position, glaring at Izuku.

"Were you eavesdropping?" She asked in a dangerously low tone, Izuku gulping as he nervously tugged at his collar.

"W-w-well-I mean… you we-were kind of loud and… I couldn't help but…" Izuku stuttered out his excuse, having trouble thinking of an out right on the spot.

"It's none of your business!" Ann snapped loudly, her volume causing Izuku to flinch back again. Seeing his reaction, Ann quickly felt a bit of guilt fill her, releasing a tired breath. "I'm sorry, I… I shouldn't have yelled like that."

Izuku was a bit surprised that Ann had apologized, but was quick to overlook her anger and nod. "N-no, it's okay… I'm sorry that I eavesdropped…"

"Yeah…" Anne nodded numbly, rubbing her arm. "How much… did you hear?"

Izuku considered his words carefully, not wanting to set Anne off again by bringing up something stupid. "Well… I heard you were talking about a teacher, and… Suzui-sempai…"

"Shiho…" Ann wilted as she said her best friend's name, gaze falling to the ground. "Just… pretend you didn't hear anything, okay? You heard nothing…" She mumbled out, wiping away a new wave of wetness in her eyes. She didn't bother to say any more, deciding to turn around and run off.

"T-Takamaki-sempai!" Izuku called out, reaching forward with one hand. She had dashed off toward the center of the station, Izuku faltering a bit as he watched her. He wasn't sure what to do at this point. Was it really his place to butt into her personal life? Then again, the cause of it was the same cause of a lot of other people's pain at the moment.

" _Yellow line is now arriving._ "

Izuku looked back at the tracks to see his train pulling in. Glancing back toward where Takamaki ran off, he sighed and turned back to the bus. "I-it's not my business… I-I shouldn't meddle in it…" He told himself, snapping his eyes shut as he felt himself move forward. He thought that he was moving the right way, only peering out of his eyes through the cracks. "It's not my business…" He muttered again as he took one more step forward, now standing directly in front of the doorway. He spared one final look back at the stairs he saw Takamaki descend, biting his bottom lip. "D-damn it!" He cried out, pulling his bag tighter on his shoulder before dashing forward and hoping to catch up.

* * *

Ann wasn't sure why she ran away from the first year student like that. It had little to do with him in the first place. She couldn't just share her emotions with someone she met only days ago and barely talked to. He wouldn't be able to understand her. He was probably judging her like everyone else did. Sizing her up like most boys would. Looking at her like she was some sort of piece of meat that-

"T-Takamaki-sempai…" Ann blinked her eyes open, standing up from her crouched position in front of a support beam. She quickly turned around and wiped her eyes, giving a weak glare as she looked at Izuku.

"Wh-what do you want?! Why are you following me?!" She asked with a more aggressive tone than she intended, but nonetheless stuck with it. She watched the green haired teen wilt a bit under her scrutiny. Surprisingly, he seemed to gather his courage and shook his head.

"B-because… you look like you… could use someone to talk to…" Izuku lamely excused, his words causing Ann's eyes to widen slightly before turning her head away.

"J-just leave me alone… stop acting so concerned… like you care…" Ann bitterly mumbled, trying to get the green haired teen to back off. Her resolve weakened as she felt another swell of emotions, unable to hold back a light sob as well as some water in her eyes that she quickly wiped away.

"W-why don't we… go somewhere else and talk?" Izuku offered meekly, Ann turning back to him slowly to look in his eyes. She wanted to blow him off, to tell him that she just wanted to be left alone. But the sincerity in his eyes, the concern in his expression, the kindness in his words. All of it disarmed her for a moment, Anne's vulnerable state causing her to fold.

"... What's wrong with you?" Ann muttered out, turning her head away from him again as she sniffled. "... fine, just… lead the way…" Ann mumbled, turning so she could follow after the green haired teen. Izuku didn't say anything at first, turning around and moving forward. Anne wasn't sure how far or long they walked for, just keeping her eyes at his feet and being subconsciously mindful of where she stepped. They went up several stair cases before finally leaving the station, Ann now recovered enough to look up and see where they were going. Izuku led her down Shibuya's main street, taking her to the Big Bang Burger.

Ann took a seat while Izuku spoke to a waitress, only waiting a moment before he sat down across from her. It was silent after that, the blonde teen feeling no need to go along any further than she had already. Thanks to the little time before arriving, she had been able to reign in her emotions a little bit. But still, she wasn't so put together yet that she would up and leave. Midoriya had shown her quite a bit of concern, after all.

"T-Takamaki-sempai… are you..?" Izuku finally spoke up after letting the silence linger. Anne shifted her eyes to look at him, crossing her legs.

"I have nothing to say… it was just an argument." Ann answered shortly. Izuku only watched her with sympathetic eye, giving a nod of acceptance. She could at least appreciate the fact that he wasn't going to press the issue.

"Here are your drinks." a server announced, bringing two cups of ice water to their table and setting them down.

Ann needed something to distract her, reaching forward and messing around with the straw of her cup. She then brought it up to her mouth and absentmindedly bit down on the straw, immediately cutting off the top piece. Anne blinked for a moment before her cheeks became a bit rosy with embarrassment, looking up at Izuku who stared with wide eyes in shock.

"S-sorry about that… um…" Ann cleared her throat and waved over her waiter. "Um… excuse me but do you guys have any… metal straws?"

The waitress blinked for a moment before giggling. "Let me guess. Your Quirk?"

"Y-yeah…." Ann admitted quietly, scratching the back of her head.

"No problem. I'll bring it out for you." The waitress nodded, turning around and taking her leave. Anne sighed before looking at Izuku, the green haired teen quickly trying to look like he wasn't staring.

"My Quirk is pretty dumb. My teeth are all basically like razors and I can chew through almost anything." Ann explained, opening her mouth slightly so he could see her teeth. From a distance, they looked like everyday white teeth. Leaning forward though, Ann knew people could see the small outlines around each tooth that looked like a blade. "My tongue is pretty tough too since it can basically ignore the blades like nothing, but apparently it's not made of any metal I guess. Still though, it can be a pretty big pain when I'm trying to eat more delicate food."

"I-I see… that's pretty amazing…" Izuku admitted, holding his chin in thought. "H-have you tested what exactly they can and can't cut through?"

"Well, to be honest, if I try hard enough I can actually bite through metal too." Ann explained, smiling a bit as she allowed the topic to distract her. "But it's a lot easier to notice if I'm starting to bite through metal than it is plastic." she chuckled a bit, allowing herself a small, reminiscent memory of when she first tested out her strange Quirk. She was no older than five when she first developed it and began chewing on many things just to see how it would work. "Of course, it's no big hero Quirk. It has its uses like when I'm pigging out, but that's about it."

"N-no, I think it's a great Quirk." Izuku shook his head, offering a small smile. "Th-though, I can see why it might be inconvenient. Have you… ever eaten-"

"A fork?" Ann asked, a small knowing smirk on her lips as she watched Izuku nervously laugh. "Only about… four times. My parents got really pissed when I did it at a nice restaurant once. But don't ask about chopsticks. To my shame, I've tried to not keep count of how many I've chewed through those." She explained, the memory bringing a small laugh out of her, one that Izuku joined in on.

Ann liked this. A small moment where she was able to think about something other than Kamoshida or the troubles that came with him. Even at school it was the dominant thought going through her head. But thanks to a little bite of her straw, the two of them were able to talk about something far less troubling. She might not be sure what Izuku was after by doing this, but she nonetheless appreciated it.

And that was why she decided to be honest.

"... What you said before. About how I look like don't like being anywhere near Kamoshida." Ann spoke again, her tone more solemn now, "You were right… I don't like being near him. In fact, I hate him."

Ann only gave a small glance Izuku's way to see his reaction. He was silent, but his eyes were wide, obviously paying close attention. She saw this as a sign to continue.

"People think that we're dating… that I've even slept with him… but that's completely wrong." Ann muttered out, reaching forward and grabbing a napkin on the table. "I've only been giving him the light of day because… because of Shiho, my best friend. But now…" Tears started to build up in her eyes again, the very idea of it making her sick to her stomach. "Kamoshida, he… he told me to go over to his place today… You know what that means…"

Ann shuttered at just the idea of becoming so intimate with the perverted teacher, gripping the napkin in frustration. "I don't want **anything** to do with him! But I… I can't ruin Shiho's chance!" she began to weep again, biting her bottom lip. "S-so please… tell me… what am I supposed to do?!" Ann pleaded, her emotions spilling forth as she poured her heart out to Izuku, watching as the green haired teen bit his own bottom lip, sweat starting to trail down his head. It looked like he wanted to say something, anything. Anything that would help Ann feel better. But Ann knew that it was unlikely he had a real answer for her.

"I… I'm sorry… I didn't mean to put that pressure on your shoulders." Ann apologized, sniffling as she wiped away her tears again and gave him a small but thankful smile. "Geez… we have one little talk about Quirks and you get me to pour my heart out. You even listened to everything I had to say, even after I… treated you poorly."

Izuku forced a weak smile, trying to seem somewhat positive for Ann. "M-maybe it's because we're both… treated like outcasts?" He suggested with a shrug, his eyes falling to the table. "I-I've only been at the school for a few days, but… everyone looks at me like a criminal…"

"Yeah… you might be right about that." Ann nodded slowly in agreement, giving her own comforting smile. "But hey. If it makes you feel better, there's no way I can see you being as bad as all that. If anything, you're almost… the opposite of what I expected after hearing the rumors."

"Y-yeah, I've gotten that a few times…" Izuku chuckled sheepishly, Ann letting a small laugh escape her lips. Her thoughts quickly went back to their original topic, her smile fading back into a frown.

"I wish… there was another way I could help Shiho. That I could just… make Kamoshida change his mind and forget about me." Ann murmured to herself, not taking notice to the small flinch she elicited out of Izuku as she spoke. "Hey, you wouldn't happen to have an awesome Quirk that changes people's minds, would you?" Ann humorlessly chuckled. Ann watched him blink for a moment in shock before he turned his head away in shame and gulped.

"N-no… sorry…" Izuku muttered, the blonde teen feeling a bit of regret in posing such a question.

"Hey, it was just a joke. Don't worry about it." Ann said, hoping to make him feel better. "That'd be too convenient anyway… but, hey. Thanks for listening. It… actually did make me feel a bit better." she spoke honestly, feeling a bit of weight lifted from her shoulders now that she had vented.

Izuku looked back up at her and gave another forced smile, nodding in acceptace. "I'm glad I could help you, even if only a little…"

"Yeah. It was pretty nice to let it all out." Ann returned the smile, though hers was more genuine. The blonde stood from her seat and grabbed her cup as she slung her bag over her shoulder. "I'm going to head home. I'm… not going to give Kamoshida what he wants. I'll think of another way to persuade him."

"O-okay then." Izuku nodded, remaining in his seat as she walked past his chair.

"And hey. Don't tell anyone about what I said, okay?" Ane reminded him, feeling the need to make sure that he knew it was a private matter. Izuku quickly nodded, which was enough for Ann. "Good…" She trailed off before realizing something, turning back to Izuku. "Hey, uh… I guess never formally introduced ourselves, huh? I'm Ann Takamaki, which I'm sure you knew by now."

"O-oh, I-Izuku Midoriya. I-it's nice to meet you…" Izuku stuttered out, offering a polite bow.

"Same here. It was nice talking to you, Midoriya." Ann gave him a small smile before turning around and finally taking her leave. Ann wasn't sure what exactly came from this talk. Whether they would be friends from now on or just passing acquantances due to a mutual understanding of one another. Either way, she was glad that Izuku decided to meddle.

* * *

Izuku half expected to be called to the Velvet Room in his previous night of sleep. He almost wished for it, in truth. He doubted that Igor or the twins would give him anything more than vague riddles about his fate, but he wanted to talk to somebody about his situation. But he hadn't been. He had texted Ryuji the previous night, but the faux blond couldn't offer anything more in terms of decision.

Originally, Izuku wouldn't doubt his decision to reject Morgana's offer. Going so far as possibly killing Kamoshida to stop him wasn't something a hero would do. Even the change of heart was a questionable act. To erase his distorted desires and leave him void of such feelings unethical. But at least it would have left him alive and the students no longer under his foot.

But Izuku's resolve was shaking again. After hearing Ann out the previous day, he was reminded just how much people were suffering because of Kamoshida. The physical damage, the emotional damage, all because of Kamoshida and his desire to be king of the school. Ryuji suffered from it, Ann still suffering from it. How many more people had to be hurt because of Kamoshida?

Izuku bit gripped his shoulder bag strap in frustration, clenching his teeth as he halted in the courtyard of the school. It had been a long morning and classes hadn't even started yet. _Why can't… why can't a hero put a stop to this?_ He wondered in his frustration, but he knew the answer. This was a case far below their attention and paygrade. The police should be handling it. But that required a report from one of the students, proof of the acts. All of which Izuku didn't have to give.

"I see you're still stewing over it."

Izuku blinked his eyes open before quickly turning around, eyes landing on Morgana's cat form hidden in a nearby bush. "M-Morgana-san?!"

"I can tell how much trouble it's giving you. So you should just accept my offer so we can get started. The sooner the better." Morgana chuckled with a smug grin on his feline face. Izuku felt a bead of sweat form on the back of his head, sighing as he looked away from Morgana.

"T-there has to be another way…" Izuku muttered, though his answer wasn't very confident.

"Really? Because from the sound of it, neither you or Ryuji have a way out of this. You're smart, too. I'm sure if there was another way to handle this, you would have thought one up." Morgana pointed out, his words causing Izuku to flinch. The cat jumped out of the bushes, seating himself on the ground. "You only have one option left. And besides, his death would only result if we act carelessly. If we play our cards right, we-"

"M-Morgana-san! You're out in the open!" Izuku quickly reminded him, kneeling in front of the cat to make sure he was hidden from unwanted eyes.

"Ugh, open your bag then. As long as you keep a hole open for me, I should be fine inside."

"M-my bag?! B-but I can't just carry you around school like-" Izuku tried to reason before hearing nearby footsteps.

"Hey, did you hear a cat around here?" A teacher called out, the green haired teen tensing up but thankful the question wasn't directed at him. "There was a rumor going around that one was on campus, yesterday."

"Doesn't look like you have much choice. Come on!" Morgana urged. Izuku sighed in defeat, quickly unshouldering his bag and opening it up for Morgana. The cat slipped in easily enough, pushing his books and notes aside so he was comfortably in the center. "There we go. Now let's get going before you get caught with me."

"I'm not sure how I feel about this…" Izuku sighed, picking up the slightly heavier bag and slinging it back on his shoulder and heading toward the stairs.

"Now, back to our previous discussion. We only run a chance of killing Kamoshida." Morgana continued from inside the bag, his head only popping out a bit from the zipper. "That's if we mess up. If we do it clean and make a quick get away, we won't have to worry about his death."

"H-how can you be sure of that, though?" Izuku muttered in response, hoping he didn't look like the creepy kid who talked to himself. Not that it would really change the general opinion of him much. "I-If we mess up-"

"You have to be more confident, Izuku. I'm sure the heroes of this world have to worry about avoiding an accidental kill all the time. Do you see them dropping their capes just because of the risk of killing?" Morgana reasoned, the green haired teen blinking in response.

"Wh-what do you mean?"

"Think of it. I'm sure that if used wrong, a lot of the Quirks in society are fairly lethal, which I'm sure is a major criteria of most hero class Quirks." Morgana began, feeling a small bit of confidence in his reasoning. "But the heroes of society know that and are able to keep themselves from doing such damage. They're careful with their powers. They know that one false move and it could mean someone's death. It's basically the same case with us. As long as we're careful and we make the right moves, we won't kill Kamoshida."

Izuku opened his mouth to argue, but could see the point in Morgana's argument. Izuku hadn't thought of it that way. The use of the Metaverse and the erasure of desires were much like the use of one's Quirk. If used correctly, it could do a lot of good. Despite the risk that comes along with it.

"But… is changing his heart really okay?" Izuku asked again, looking back at the cat with unsure eyes.

"Are his distorted desires more important than the suffering of the students he's torturing?" Morgana countered with a furrowed brow. Izuku knew the immediate answer to that, but couldn't say it for himself. He turned his gaze away and sighed as he climbed the final steps reaching up to the third floor. As he turned a corner to head to class, he caught sight of a familiar further down the hall. He stopped in his stride, widening his eyes as he realized it was Shiho Suzui standing there, an empty look in her expression.

"S-Suzui-sempai..?" Izuku muttered out, though his words barely audible to the older teen as she slowly moved to the stairs further down the hall. _Why is she… going to the roof?_ Izuku thought to himself, gulping as he felt an anxious shiver go up his spine.

"Is everything alright?" Morgana asked in concern, the cat pulling Izuku from his thoughts. "You need to get to class, don't you?"

The first bell of the day rang above, Izuku blinking as he cast his gaze back at his classroom just a few meters down the hall. He turned back to where he saw Suzui ascend up the stairs, gripping his bag in fear. Normally he would be a little suspicious, but not afraid. It was Suzui's expression though that put a lingering sense of dread in him. Like she had completely given up. Like she was calling for help and no one was answering.

Izuku wasn't sure when he decided to, but his legs pushed him forward, heading for the stairs wordlessly. "Hey, where are you going?" Morgana asked, but Izuku didn't answer. He had to confirm it for himself. It could be nothing and his fear was unwarranted. Izuku hoped to all that was holy that such was the case. As he made his way up the stairs though, he felt the terror only grow in the pit of his stomach with every step.

"Hey… the door is open." Morgana pointed out, his own voice filled with confusion. He wasn't sure what Izuku was doing, but it seemed that he was now sharing a bit of the fear Izuku was feeling. Izuku took slow steps up the stairs, trying to be quiet enough so that he wouldn't be heard by anyone on the roof. Izuku wasn't sure why he decided to do that, but didn't question it for very long. Once the dim light of the cloudy day shined in his face, Izuku could finally see the whole rooftop thanks to the open door.

In an instant, Izuku's blood ran cold. His eyes became wide as plates and his skin paled white as snow. His breath became ragged and his voice was caught in his throat. Ahead of him, Izuku could see Suzui. She was currently climbing over the fence that gated the outer rim of the roof, landing with a thud on the edge.

"N-no way… is she..?" Morgana mumbled out, the cat equally shaken as he realized what was going on.

"M-Morgana-san…" Izuku mumbled out, slowly placing his bag on the ground so that the cat could jump out. "G-go. Go get Ryuji-sempai. He-he's on the second floor… Class 2-E."

"O-okay! Ju-just be careful, got it?!" Morgana told the green haired teen, not wasting another moment as he dashed down the stairs.

Izuku was now left with Suzui, alone. He had to think fast. _Wh-what are my best options right now? I-I could sprint forward and try to reach out and grab her, pull her against the fence. But I would still have to convince her to climb back over on her own. M-maybe I could hold her in place until Ryuji-sempai gets here to help me hoist her over. No, I have to be careful in doing that. If I surprise her by accident I might end up causing her to trip! Not to mention the holes in the fence are narrow, so I might not be able to stick my arms through so easily! What do I do?! What do_ _ **I do**_ _?!_

Izuku couldn't bear waiting much longer, quickly dashing up the remaining stairs. "S-Suzui-sempai!" He called out, his voice causing the brunette to snap her head back and look at him.

"M-Midoriya-san..?" Suzui muttered, staring at him in confusion. The moment he took a step further, she took a step closer to the edge. "St-stay away!"

Izuku immediately stopped, not wanting to test the threat in any way. "S-Suzui-sempai, don't do this!" He called out, his eyes filling with desperate tears. There was nothing he could do from where he was. He had no Quirk to help him reach out. His Persona was unable to help him here. It was just him and Shiho.

"Wh-what are you doing up here?!" Suzui asked, her voice cracked from stress as tears started to stream down her face. "J-just let me go!"

"P-please, Suzui-sempai! You don't have to do this!" Izuku cried out, daring to take a single step forward. Shiho hesitated, thankfully not making a move toward the edge again but lingering close enough that Izuku was still completely shaken.

"You… you don't understand!" Shiho exclaimed, her hand gripping on the fence in desperation as she leaned her head against the twisted metal. "I just… I just can't take it… I want it to stop…"

Izuku knew immediately. He had lied to himself, hoping that Kamoshida hadn't gone so far, even against women. It was a sad lie to help get him through the night. "I-it's the abuse, right? Th-that Kamoshida is doing to the students? To you?" Izuku asked, his voice gentle albeit shaky as he spoke.

Shiho's eyes opened when he said that, shifting her head so that she was looking at him, her eyes looking tired and defeated. "S-so you know… you know what he's done? What he did?"

"N-not all of it… but enough…" Izuku explained, offering a reassuring smile in hopes to make her feel safer. Despite his tears and the trembling of his body, he smiled. He smiled like All Might would if he were here. "A-and we're going to take him down. M-me, Ryuji-sempai… we're going to make sure he doesn't hurt anyone else…"

A small spring of hope seemed to fill Shiho's eyes, the brunette looking into his eyes, pleading that he was telling the truth. Izuku saw hope in that moment. But that hope quickly dwindled. Dark thoughts raced through her mind again, Shiho's eyes losing that light of hope almost as fast as it appeared.

"I-it doesn't matter what you do…" Shiho mumbled, leaning her head back against the fence. "Volleyball is all I'm good at… with that gone, then…. Then what's the point? Even if you take Kamoshida down… what does it matter?"

Izuku felt sweat beginning to pour down his face again. He was losing her. Izuku had to bring her back from the brink. He had to figure out a way to put her at ease. "N-no, that's… that's not true! Y-you don't need Kamoshida… you don't need him to keep playing!"

"Even if I don't… even if I… if I were to speak up against him, it won't change anything…" Shiho muttered again, slowly pushing off the fence and taking a step back from it. Izuku nearly ran forward at that, but restrained himself.

"I-it will! Y-you just have to tell them about the abuse… tell them about everything and he'll be done!" Izuku urged, at least taking another step forward. He was about three meters back from the fence. Even if he were to sprint forward though, the fence holes were too narrow. He'd likely have to struggle to get his arms through. By that time…

"Everything?" Shiho repeated, her eyes looking back up at Izuku. The void that Izuku saw in her irises caused him to gulp, like he was staring at a doll. "If I did that, then… everyone would know. Would know that yesterday, he… touched me. Everywhere."

Izuku froze at that, his face becoming paler and the smile of confidence he wore failing when he heard that. "N-no... he… he touched you… He went that far..?" He mumbled out, his body swirling with emotions. Anger. Guilt. Hate. Grief. Disgust. While he was struggling with what had to be done to stop Kamoshida, Shiho had been at his mercy. Suffered more than he could have imagined. More than he wanted to imagine, at least.

Shiho let out a mirthless laugh, causing Izuku to shake the emotions away for the moment. "You see? Even you… look at me with those eyes of disgust. They would all look at me the same way... I guess it's another thing I won't have to deal with, right?"

"N-no! S-Suzui-sempai, I'm not…" Izuku tried to argue, but his breath hitched as she turned around, facing the rest of the school. It was all or nothing. Izuku couldn't wait any longer. He had to try.

"Goodbye, Midoriya-san… tell Ann I'm sorry."

" **Suzui-sempai**!"

* * *

Ryuji ignored the throbbing of his leg as he sprinted down the hallway toward the stairs. Morgana had gotten his attention during class, thankfully, and he was able to convince the teacher to let him go to the bathroom. It was a good thing he got a headstart when he did, as it wasn't long after Morgana pulled him out that the rest of the school was becoming aware of Suzui's current state.

"Quick, up the stairs! We don't know how long Izuku can stall her!" Morgana urged, the feline running alongside him.

"Damn it, I can't believe-what the hell did he **do** to her?!" Ryuji cried out in anger, spinning on the balls of his feet and dashing up the steps. No one was around to block his way and the teachers were probably just now finding out about it like the rest of the students.

"We're almost there!" Morgana cried out as they made it up to the third floor. Ryuji twisted again so that he was up the stairs as fast as his legs could carry him. He made it to the middle of the steps before he heard it.

" **AHHHHH~!** "

Ryuji and Morgana froze, the scream having come from down the hall. More screams of similar nature echoed around them, Ryuji feeling sweat drip down his face. "N-no… it can't be…" He muttered before quickly sprinting up the stairs again, swinging the half open door out of his way. "Izuku!" He called out before freezing completely.

Morgana climbed up soon after, the cat's expression becoming sullen at what he saw. "Oh no…"

Izuku was on his knees with his hands gripping at the fence desperately, serving as the only support that kept him from falling on the ground. The green haired teen was sobbing uncontrollably, tears and drool slathering the ground in front of him as he choked out inaudible words, his head dipped low.

"I-Izuku..?" Ryuji called out, the sight almost causing him to cry on its own.

"I-I-I… I'm s-s-sorry… I-I… I-I c-couldn't save her…"

 **To be continued…**

 **So, yeah. That got pretty dark at the end, there. Though it was pretty dark the way it happened in the game as well. This chapter turned out longer than expected, but I didn't want to cut out the final part. It wasn't something that I wanted at the beginning of a chapter, but at the end.**

 **I wanted to get Izuku's struggle with the change of heart down as best as I possibly could. Honestly, I hope I did it right. Izuku's a true hero, through and through. The change of heart is a morally questionable action, but… at this point, very understandable.**

 **Putting Izuku through that ending though was… kind of cruel. But I would say it is almost necessary. Necessary for what's coming next. Not much else to say on the matter except… damn.**

 **I had actually originally intended for Izuku to save her, but after talking with some friends on it… this actually made sense. Reality is cruel. And it's hard to understand what goes through the mind of someone that close to the edge. I've never been there, and I don't know what would be the right thing to say. Neither has Izuku, even through the main series of MHA. It was a brand new, albeit terrible, experience for him.**

 **Anyways, that's the chapter. I hope you all enjoyed and are ready for what comes next. Please leave a review, a favorite and a follow.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I own neither My Hero Academia or Persona 5**

Chapter 9

Makoto drew a deep breath as she mentally prepared herself to enter Kobayakawa's office. She had taken the time to carefully pick her questions for him this morning. It was her free period, so she knew that she would be able to speak to him before the rest of her classes began. Looking at his door, Makoto found herself feeling restless, though. Izuku and Ryuji gathered enough information to know that each student was threatened into keeping quiet. That they were convinced that even the principal was aware of what they were suffering. Now it was Makoto's job to find the truth. The source of her apprehension, though, was the idea that the rumor was true. Several factors played into this. One: if true, then their hopes of stopping Kamoshida decreased tremendously. Two: If Kobayakawa were to suspect something of Makoto and her questions, then she would become a target of Kamoshida's every scrutinizing eyes. And finally, it will completely overturn what trust she has in the school and its instructors.

Makoto only hesitated for a moment longer before straightening her shoulders and knocking on the door. _Please don't let it be true._

"Come in." She heard a muffled voice bid her in, Makoto soon grabbing the knob and entering. The obese principal sat behind his desk, looking through several papers in his hand before turning a curt smile to Makoto. "Ah, Nijima-san. Good to see you. What can I help you with this morning?"

"Good morning, Kobayakawa-sensei." Makoto smiled back formally, giving a bow. "I'm dropping by because I have a… very sensitive matter to discuss." She said, her voice becoming more grave as her expression fell into a more nervous look.

Kobayakawa raised a brow at this but nodded, motioning toward one of the chairs. "I see. Well then, please tell me what's on your mind."

Makoto did as bid, taking a seat across from the principal. "Well, you see… recently I received some… complaints about a teacher. Some very serious accusations, in fact, of abuse."

Kobayakawa widened his eyes at that, leaning forward on his table as he crossed his arms on the desk. "And… who exactly are these students making such accusations?"

"I'm sorry, but they wished to remain anonymous. Only until after you've promised to help will they decide to come out." Makoto suggested, keeping her expression firm as she lied. "So I reassured them that I would come and talk to you first about that matter."

"I see…" Kobayakawa hummed, looking down at his desk in thought for a moment before looking back up. "Well, if I can help in any way, I will try my best. Who exactly is it that they're accusing of this alleged abuse?"

 _This is the moment of truth._ "I am… reluctant to say this, but… Kamoshida-sensei. It appears that he has been abusing this student, as well as possibly others under his care on the Volleyball teams." Makoto declared, brow furrowing seriously as she spoke.

Kobayakawa looked tense the moment that Kamoshida's name was brought to attention, gulping as he looked to the side. Sweat started to glisten down his face. "I-I see… this is quite serious, indeed. And you are completely sure that they said it was Kamoshida-san?"

"Without a doubt." Makoto answered shortly, his response making a bit of sweat trailed down her brow. _Please let it be a lie…_

"I see…" Kobayakawa hummed, closing his eyes in thought as he linked his fingers in front of his face. "Perhaps then… you might be able to handle this situation yourself, Nijima-san."

Makoto blinked owlishly at the principal, unsure that she heard that right. "E-excuse me, sir?" _No…_

"Yes, as student body president, it is your duty to reassure the other students, correct?" Kobayakawa suggested, giving her an expectant smile. "A situation like this would… explode on Shujin Academy if we let it get out of hand."

 _It really is true…_

"We don't need any unnecessary attention brought to our prestigious institution. We've been able to keep our name clean of such… baseless accusations. Especially against one of our most inspiring instructors."

"B-baseless?!" Makoto blurted out, standing from her seat. "But sir, th-these students are-"

"I'm sure that they are suffering a great deal, Nijima-san. But perhaps they are… projecting their worries and pain on their instructor rather than deal with it directly." Kobayakawa suggested, his half assed excuse nearly causing Makoto to shout. She contained herself, held back her emotions and true thoughts as she always did, knowing her place as a student. Of course, bottling up such thoughts only made them hurt worse in the long run.

"B-but sir… if what they're saying is true, then-"

"Kamoshida-san is an important part of this academy. Thanks to his hard work and dedication to the Volleyball team, Shujin Academy has gained quite a bit of notoriety. Being that our academy does not rely on Hero Training courses, we need all the positive attention that the school can get." Kobayakawa quickly cut her off, his expression hardening now. "I highly doubt that an instructor of his caliber would be capable of such atrocities."

But… sir…" Makoto muttered, biting her bottom lip as she realized how futile her struggle against the principal's words were.

"I will hear no more of this, Nijima-san. As student council president, I expect that you will be able to handle the situation." Kobayakawa dismissed, turning back to a stack of papers on his desk. "Now, if that is all, I must return to my work. Do your best to reassure the student, Nijima-san, but make sure they aren't putting the blame on the wrong people."

 _This… this is truly terrible._ Makoto gripped her gloved hand in anger, unable to unleash her emotions. Forced to keep it to herself, just like always. She had her future to think of. She couldn't ruin that by flying off the rails. That's what she told herself in her most emotional moments. It was the only thing that kept her from reaching across the table right now and smashing Kobayakawa's face in the table. But she knew that wouldn't help. She knew it was all for nothing. Stiffly bowing, Makoto quietly turned around and headed for the door, opening it and closing it gently behind her. The brunette third year held a hand to her face, grinding her teeth in frustration. _What is left for us to do?_

"Hey, what's going on out there?!"

Makoto looked up when she heard one of the staff shout, raising a brow at the sudden commotion. Looking at the open door leading to the hall, she could see a large gathering of students. It was obviously past the start of first period, so what were they all doing out of class?

"Oh my god, she's gonna jump!" A student cried out, Makoto's eyes widening in shock. She dashed for the door, running up to the closest window and ignoring the other students. Searching around, her eyes landed on the lone figure standing on the edge of the terrace, though it looked as she was facing back, almost as if reconsidering her position.

"Oh my god…" Makoto muttered, reaching a hand up toward the window before looking around. "E-everyone, please remain calm! I-is there anyone here with a Quirk that can extend to that distance?! Perhaps anyone with flight capabilities?!" She called out, looking around in a panic. She didn't have time to dwell on who or why right now, someone had to-

"She's jumping!"

Makoto snapped her head back and felt dread fill her, watching as the girl finally walked off the edge. Screams echoed through the halls, filling her ears with the same amount of despair that she felt in her heart. Students were quick to look down and focus their attention on the ground, trying to find the spot where she fell. Makoto covered her mouth as she held back a cry, unable to accept what she had just seen. Her eyes lingered on the roof, trembling with fear of seeing what was left on the ground.

But it was then that she saw it. Someone leaning on the fence, their fingers wrapped around the fence and gripping the metal desperately. _Someone tried to stop her?_ looking around, Makoto realized that no one else saw this, all focused on scrambling to the first floor for a view of the girl. Looking back up, Makoto knew that nobody could have known so quickly what had transpired. Whoever was up there had to have some prior knowledge. Running down the hall, Makoto hoped she could reach whoever it was before they disappeared.

* * *

 **(My Hero Academia OST: Anguish of the Quirkless)**

Suzui's fall had played out in so many different ways in Izuku's mind. He had done it over and over again. Not to torture himself, intentionally at least. He wanted to know when it all went wrong. When did he screw up. He wanted to know why Suzui jumped. Why he wasn't fast enough Why he was so weak. Why he couldn't save her. He couldn't stop the question of 'why' from repeating in his mind over and over again. Almost as if answering the question would change the entire outcome that played out in front of him. But it wouldn't. Suzui had jumped, and Izuku failed to save her.

Izuku didn't react when Ryuji wrapped an arm around him, supporting the green haired teen as they walked through the school and headed to the ground floor to confirm the likely result. The masses of student ramblings echoing through the hall were nothing but white noise to him, now. He didn't want to see what happened to Suzui. He didn't want to know exactly how deep his failure was. Izuku could barely register the fact that life was still going on after such a tragic moment. But it was. And all that was left to do was push on. To see the extent of the damage done this day because of his failure.

"Hey, dude… we're here." Ryuji announced quietly, though Izuku barely reacted. He gripped the strap of his bag with a trembling hand, biting down on his lower lip.

"Is she… gone?" He muttered out, holding back the tears that threatened to spill forth again, even after nearly drying them out only moments ago.

"I… I can't tell." Ryuji admitted, his view blocked by the crowd of teens still standing there, their mutterings indiscernible with the multitude of voices going around. Ryuji sighed, releasing Izuku and making sure he stood on his own before going up to one of the students at random. "Yo. Is the girl… dead?"

"Huh? No, sh-she lived. But parts of her body were twisted pretty bad. The paramedics are getting ready to take her away now." A teen told him, the news bringing some relief despite the terrible incident.

"You hear that, Izuku?" Ryuji asked, turning back to the green haired teen. "She's not gone, at least. She made it."

Izuku finally looked back up at Ryuji, his eyes already filling back up with mist. "R-really..? Th-thank goodness… A-at least she… is still…" Izuku's words trailed off as he struggled to finish. Ryuji bit the inside of his cheek, walking over and wrapping an arm around his shoulders again.

"It's not your fault what happened, Izuku. She put herself up there." Morgana spoke from his book bag, hoping to reassure the green haired teen.

"I-I… I should have been able to stop her…" Izuku muttered, his hand gripping at his side as he allowed Ryuji to pull him along. "I… I was right there… so close…" he muttered, holding both of his trembling hands in front of his face.

"Hey, what happened to your hands?" Ryuji pointed out, causing Morgana to peek out and take a look for himself. The base line of Izuku's fingers were swollen and red, blood dried from cuts on the jointed parts of his fingers. When Izuku had run at the fence, he had tried desperately to fit his hands through, nearly breaking his own fingers in the process. He likely would have if he kept trying to push through and grab her. But it had been too late, either way.

Izuku couldn't admit to the action. It was pointless, after all. He had failed despite the state of his hands. Ryuji seemed to understand it somewhat, not bothering to push the subject as he lead Izuku along again. The crowds began to disperse, the students either leaving school for the day or attempting to go back to class. Considering the chain of events, the teachers didn't seem in a rush to stop anyone from leaving.

The faux blond brought Izuku to the vending machines, sitting him down at one of the nearby tables and moving to get them something to drink. Normally, Ryuji would be in a fit of rage, likely to go and try and get details as to why something so terrible occurred. But after seeing Izuku's current state, he decided to wait until the green haired teen was capable of acting as well. _The hell do we do now, though..?_

"Hey! Sakamoto-kun! Midori!" Izuku registered his nickname being called, raising his head slightly to see Makoto approaching them from down the hall.

"Hey, Nijima-sempai." Ryuji called out, turning to her with a sigh. "What's up?"

"I thought I'd check up on you two. What happened was rather dark..." Makoto said, looking from Ryuji to Izuku. The moment she saw his eyes, she realized how depressed he looked, her eyes widening in confusion. "M-Midori? Are you okay?"

Izuku looked away from Makoto, biting his bottom lip as he bit back a sob. He wasn't okay. How could he be? He didn't want to tell Makoto why, though. That meant reliving the experience. Not that the scene hadn't been playing out in his mind over and over again, already. But talking about it, telling her would just hurt him more.

"He was… pretty shaken by what happened." Ryuji covered for him, understanding that Izuku was suffering more than most of the students. Refocusing forward, Ryuji gave a pleading look. "Suzui was part of the Volleyball team, Nijima-sempai. This has to be related to Kamoshida. Please tell me you were able to talk to the principal."

Makoto winced at the request, looking away from the two and rubbing her arm. "I did… and you guys were right. Kobayakawa is at the least trying to cover for Kamoshida."

Izuku wasn't surprised to hear that. At this point, nothing about the teacher could surprise him. Kamoshida had succeeded in making Izuku completely abhore the man. The fact that he was abusing his power in the school was relatively easy to accept for him.

"Son of a bitch!" Ryuji snapped in anger, slamming his fist on the free courtyard table nearby. "I can't believe that fat bastard is helping that piece of shit!"

"Sakamoto-kun, calm yourself!" Makoto urged, giving him a stern look. "Getting more upset about this isn't-"

"Upset doesn't even **begin** to describe how I feel!" Ryuji exclaimed, turning to the vending machine and gripping the edges. If he was strong enough, he would try to toss the thing through the courtyard. Sadly the tables and chairs were nailed to the ground. "Suzui just tried to kill herself… all because of that bastard!"

"Could the… abuse have really gotten that severe?" Makoto questioned, holding her chin in thought. "But then again… to have to deal with it more than a few times… I'm sure it just became too much to bare."

"I-it wasn't just the abuse…" Izuku muttered, pulling their attention to him as he finally spoke. Shiho's words would forever stick with him. Especially what she had to say about Kamoshida. Unsurprisingly, Izuku felt tears start to fall as he recalled the moment. "Kamoshida, he… he didn't just abuse her… yesterday, he… he t-touched Suzui-sempai…"

"W-wait, touched?! You don't mean..?" Ryuji muttered, eyes widening after hearing the truth of the matter.

"N-no… that's disgusting…" Makoto mumbled, holding a hand over her mouth as she felt her stomach sink. "M-Midori, how do you know this?"

Izuku looked up into her eyes, tears still streaming down his cheek. "I was… I was up there… trying to stop her from jumping…" Makoto gasped at that, realizing who she saw was actually Izuku, after all. "I-I saw her heading up to the roof on my way to class, and… and I could tell something was wrong…" slouching over, Izuku gripped at his hair in despair, frustrated enough that he could rip it out if he really tried. "I-I failed, though… I couldn't save her! I-I-"

Izuku was cut off when he felt arms wrap around his head and pull him against their stomach. Daring to look up, Makoto stood there with a sympathetic gaze, rubbing his back in comfort. "Don't you dare blame yourself for what happened up there. It's not your fault."

"B-but I couldn't-"

"There was no way you could have known what was going on in her head, Midori. You did everything you could. Don't make her decision your burden." Makoto cut him off, squeezing him closer as she spoke. Her words were soft, and most usually they would be a comfort. But right now, Izuku didn't feel that way. Because he could have stopped this. Stopped Kamoshida before things had escalated so drastically. If only he had listened to Morgana the first time around.

"That's it… I'm done." Ryuji muttered, suddenly breaking the silence that lingered after Izuku's sobbing. "No more of this shit. I'm goin' right up to that asshole and gonna get that shit outta him!" He exclaimed, stomping past the two. Makoto hesitated for a moment, unsure if she wanted to leave Izuku like this, but knew that she had to step in.

"W-wait, Sakamoto-kun! You're only going to make things harder on you and Midori!" Makoto said, causing the faux blond to hesitate for a moment before turning a furious glare her way.

"And what exactly do you expect me to do?!" Ryuji snapped, gripping his fist until it was white. "You said it yourself! That fat principal ain't gonna help us! We're on our own! So now we have to make that asshole fess up on our own!"

"Do you really think he'd be so dumb as to admit to his crime?!" Makoto retorted, hoping to make him see reason. "You have to think about what you're doing and don't rush in blindly!"

"That asshole is so damn cocky, I just might!" Ryuji shot back, teeth grinding in his frustration. "And if not, I don't care! I'm not just sittin' around and lettin' that bastard keep gettin' away with this! I'm not gonna be helpless anymore!" He growled, turning his back on Makoto again and marching forward. "Watch out for Izuku. Guy's had a rough day. I'm gonna go deal with this."

"S-Sakamoto-kun!" Makoto reached out to stop Ryuji, but bit her bottom lip. She could at least understand all of his frustration. But still, she wasn't sure if she could let him go through with this. Looking back, Makoto wanted to ask Izuku for his help in stopping him, but found that he was now standing up. His body was still trembling, but what Makoto saw was no longer grief. Izuku's fist was gripped tightly at his side, biting the corner of his mouth and sweat trailing down his face. Izuku's grief had been exchanged for rage. "M-Midori..?"

"Stay here, Koto-san. You've done enough to help." Izuku declared, turning forward. Makoto quickly reached out, grabbing his arm.

"Please, don't do this! You're both only going to make this worse on yourselves!" Makoto urged, eyes wide in exasperation. Slowly turning back to Makoto, she saw that while his body trembled with fury, his eyes were still beholden to his grief, tears still residing at the edges.

"I'm not… letting him get away with this… I swear!" Izuku proclaimed, pulling out of her grip and sprinting forward.

"Midori! Wait!" Makoto called out, but the green haired teen was soon out of her range. Makoto's hand shook, anxiety and fear filling her now. She pulled her hand back to her chest and bit hugged her arms. Not only had she been unable to help them, Makoto was now resigned to watching as her friends jumped recklessly into the lion's den. She knew it was pointless to stop them, especially Izuku. That look in his eyes completely disarmed her. But still, she couldn't help but feel so pathetic.

"Why… why am I so worthless..?"

* * *

Izuku was intelligent for his age. He wasn't socially adept, but he could read a situation and know the general outcome fairly well. And right now, only trailing a few meters behind Ryuji, Izuku could tell that the both of them were making a huge error in judgement. That Makoto's previous warning was accurate. That going directly to Kamoshida like this was almost pointless. That letting their rage out on the coach would yield no benefits to their cause. And yet, he continued to sprint through the school. Izuku ignored the sideway glances that he received. He needed to look Kamoshida in the eyes. Izuku needed to see the eye of the hurricane.

 _Is this goin' to really help, kid?_

Izuku for whatever reason didn't feel surprised when he heard the voice of Carter in his mind. Catching his reflection in the window, it shifted into a transparent apparition of his Persona, Carter's golden eyes staring back into his green orbs. Gulping, Izuku wasn't sure how to answer immediately. He wasn't sure if he had to answer the mask of his soul in the first place. But regardless, he did.

 _I know the choice I'm going to make now. But I want Kamoshida to see it in me for himself._

Carter was quiet, Izuku watching his Persona for a moment. At the corner of his mouth, his plastered grin somehow grew. _Then good luck, kid. I'll be seein' ya soon. Show 'em that a hero doesn't back down._

Izuku didn't look back at his Persona, strengthening his resolve as he picked up speed and caught up with Ryuji. The blond finally noticed him now, widening his eyes in shock. "H-hey! You don't gotta follow me, man! Today's been rough for you, and this is probably stupid as shit of me to do. But I gotta do it!"

"We both do, Ryuji-sempai." Izuku declared, huffing as he kept running. Summoning what little hope he had left in him, the green haired teen gave him as strong of a smile as he could. "W-we promised to have each other's backs, right?"

Ryuji opened his mouth to argue, but couldn't say anything in response. Despite all of the messed up things to happen in the past few days, the one thing that gave him some hope was this first year student he could view as his best friend. He'd only known Izuku for a few days, but he felt like he could stand by his side through anything. "A-alright then. Let's stick it to him."

It wasn't long before the two came upon the P.E. faculty room, Ryuji not bothering with the knob and kicking the door open directly. Swinging to the side with a clang, the door revealed Kamoshida to be sitting at a desk against the wall, seemingly careless as he looked back at the two with a hardened gaze. Normally Izuku might have faltered a bit from those eyes, but right now his determination held strong.

"What are you two causing a ruckus about, now?" Kamoshida sighed, acting as if the day was as normal as any other. As if a girl he abused had not just attempted to kill herself.

"We know what you did, you sick bastard!" Ryuji snapped in his unyielding rage. "Stop sittin' there all innocent like nothin' happened because of you!"

"Oh? You mean that poor girl who just jumped? Now what would any of that have to do with me?" Kamoshida crowed in false innocence, giving the faux blond a devious smirk. "Sounds like a lot of hot air with nothing to back it up if you ask me."

"W-we know you did it! Sh-she told us!" Izuku spoke up this time, teeth ground as he glared at the coach. "Y-you're not going to get away with this! You're supposed to help students, not abuse them!"

"Oh? She confessed, did she?" Kamoshida hummed with some amusement, standing from his seat and holding his chin. "Sounds like the squabbling of a depressed girl who would do anything to keep her spot on the team. Not to mention you have no proof. You're right, I do help my students. But sometimes they take my generosity as granted and hope to abuse it…"

"Don't try and bullshit us, Kamoshida!" Ryuji growled, taking a step toward the coach. Izuku quickly reached forward, wrapping an arm around his chest despite keeping his gaze fixed on on Kamoshida. "You can fool everyone else, but you can't fool us! We know exactly what you can do!"

"Careful now, Sakamoto. Any closer and you might have another lesson about 'self defense'." Kamoshida sneered, looking down on the two like they were nothing more than peasants. Izuku could see the 'king' version of Kamoshida in this man. Even outside of the world of cognition, he really was no different. Just far more withheld for public appearance. "So, what's your plan then? Wait for that girl to wake up and tell everyone? Even if what you say is, hypothetically, true, who would listen to the ramblings of a suicidal brat? Not that she'll get a chance to really say anything."

"Wh-what does that mean?!" Izuku demanded, easing his grip on Ryuji as the blond seemed to at least be stable enough not to try and attack the teacher again.

"The school just received a call. That poor girl took quite a painful fall. It looks unlikely that she's going to make it." Kamoshida declared, his voice poorly veiling his amusement of the situation as he spoke in 'concern'. "It's such a shame that Suzui might not make it. The poor thing…"

Izuku felt his face pale at the news. So it seemed that Suzui wasn't quite out of the woods yet. Surviving the fall with lingering mental health issues was going to be difficult, but at least she would have a chance to bounce back. Izuku wanted her to live. To see them take Kamoshida down. That someone was listening when she called out for help.

"You goddamn…" Ryuji growled again, making another attempt to run forward. Izuku held him back again, his grip becoming stronger to make sure the blond knew he wasn't letting go. "Let me go, man! I can't take it anymore!"

"W-we'll get our chance… later…" Izuku whispered to him, the faux blond blinking as he looked back at Izuku in question. Izuku's eyes were shaded by his hair, sweat dripping down his cheeks. It took Ryuji a moment, but it finally clicked in his mind: he knew exactly what Izuku meant.

"Oh, you mean…"

"What was that? Did you say something, brat?" Kamoshida huffed, eyes now leering down at Izuku. Kamoshida wanted to make him jump, to see him recoil like a child just as before. Instead, Izuku looked back at him with a fire of determination in his eyes, brow hardened in anger.

"I was saying… that you're not going to get away with this." Izuku declared, releasing Ryuji as he stood up straight and trembled in his rage. "You've hurt too many people and caused Suzui-sempai to try to kill herself. You… you're not the king of this school, Kamoshida!" Izuku's voice raised, his expression becoming more fierce as he pointed at the teacher. "The students aren't yours to rule over! You will be stopped! Because no matter what, there will always be **heroes** around to put an end to your crimes! And they won't stop until all of your victims have been saved!"

Ryuji and Kamoshida were equally taken off guard by the conviction and fury in his voice, the glare of his expression causing them both to stare at him wide eyed for a moment. Kamoshida quickly came back to his senses before a smile of amusement spread across his face, his twisted laugh starting to fill the air.

"Oh man, not a bad little speech there, brat. But uh, you should take another look around. Do you see any heroes here? Anyone coming by to 'save the day'?" Kamoshida taunted, his expression maliciously taunting as he spread his arms out and looked around the room. In the face of it, though, Izuku stood strong. "No one's going to swoop in and save the day. Not even heroes care about scum like you."

"When they come, you won't be able to stop them." Izuku retorted, his voice low this time rather than the previous volume. Kamoshida frowned in annoyance, huffing as he stood up straight.

"Is that right? Well then, I'll be sure that neither of you are when they come, at least." Kamoshida declared, turning his backs on the pair and walking back to his seat. "Congratulations, kid. Because as of the next board meeting, you two will be expelled."

Ryuji and Izuku both tensed at that statement, the blond's eyes going wide in shock. "Wh-what?! You can't do that!"

"Oh, trust me. I can. One delinquent and one former criminal? Who do you think they'll listen to?" Kamoshida sneered, grinning back at them deviously. "Enjoy your next few weeks. They'll be the last that you have at this school."

"You son of a-" Ryuji began, but suddenly felt a tug on his blazer, snapping his head back to Izuku.

"Let's go. W-we've got our own things to do…" Izuku declared, giving him a look to send the message that this was no longer worth the trouble. Ryuji hesitated, wanting to say something more, but decided to go along with Izuku's lead, grumbling as he turned his back on the coach. Izuku spared one last look toward Kamoshida, gripping his fist at his side, before quickly leaving with Ryuji. The two walked out into the hall, making sure to get some distance between them and the door before stopping.

"So I'm guessing this means you're ready to do this, now?" Ryuji asked, turning back to Izuku expectantly.

"... Yes. I can't do nothing about it. Not anymore." Izuku admitted, eyes cast to the ground. "Even with the risk… I think that it's better than letting all those people suffer…"

"Um… what are you planning to do?" Izuku and Ryuji blinked, the two quickly snapping their attention down the hall leading to the gymnasium. Standing there was the plain boy that Izuku remembered from their runaround of witnesses.

"Mishima?" Ryuji muttered before taking a few steps forward. "How much did you hear?"

"Enough…" The boy admitted, rubbing his arm anxiously as he cast his gaze to the ground. "I… I wanted to talk to Kamoshida about what happened, but… I overheard what you guys said." His voice began to tremble, tears threatening at the edge of his eyes. "I-is it true..? D-did Kamoshida… touch her?"

Izuku cast his gaze away in reluctance. It wasn't a good idea to spread the details of why throughout the school. It would only make things harder on Shiho if… when she came back.

"What's it to you?" Ryuji asked. His voice wasn't threatening or volatile, but genuinely curious.

"I… I was… asked by Kamoshida yesterday to send her to his office…" Mishima said quietly, Ryuji and Izuku widening their eyes in shock. "I-I had no idea that… that he would do something like that…" He mumbled out, reaching up and gripping at his hair in desperation. "I-I'm so sorry…"

Ryuji's expression softened, the faux blond releasing a sigh. "It's nobody's fault but Kamoshida. And that asshole is gonna get his." Ryuji declared, brow hardening again as he strengthen his resolve.

"B-but how? The principal, our parents… no one's going to stick up for us…" Mishima sobbed out, sniffling. "A-and he's right… no heroes are coming to save us…"

Izuku and Ryuji shared a look before sighing, the faux blond turning back to Mishima. "Go back to class, dude. You don't wanna get caught out here by that asshole."

Mishima took a moment to continue trembling before quietly nodding, slowly moving forward and leaving the two behind him. Waiting for him to leave, Ryuji and Izuku turned back to one another.

"W-we should probably go back to class,too… we don't want to drag any more attention to us…" Izuku muttered, tightening his bag against his shoulder.

"Sounds like you two are finally ready to embrace my plan." Morgana declared, suddenly popping his head out of Izuku's bag.

"Ah-crap! I completely forgot you were in there!" Ryuji blurted, recoiling slightly from the cat. "So I'm guessin' you heard everything, then?"

"Yep. And considering the circumstances, it's pretty obvious what we're going to do." Morgana smirked, looking down at Izuku. "Have you settled the matter in your heart?"

Izuku frowned, looking down at the ground again. "Yes, I have… b-but we can talk more about it when we leave…"

"Alright, then. See you guys after class." Ryuji sighed, resigning to listen to Izuku's plan. Considering that if they suddenly disappeared during the day and Kamoshida changed, it would seem rather suspicious.

"Wh-what are you going to do, Morgana-san?" Izuku asked, glancing back at the cat.

"I'll stick with you. Don't worry, I'll just stay well hidden." Morgana declared, causing the green haired teen to deadpan. Regardless, Izuku resigned himself to carrying Morgana to class. So far he hadn't been caught, so he doubted that Morgana would be dumb enough to come out and make a fuss during his class.

Moving toward the stairs, Izuku's thoughts drifted back to their plan. His reluctance in originally doing so was gone. Kamoshida had made it fairly easy for him to accept the possible outcome. But still, the thought of possibly killing Kamoshida still whispered in the back of his mind. Telling Izuku that regardless of their reasons or Kamoshida's crimes, would it really be right to kill Kamoshida? Of course not. Izuku didn't believe that for a second.

But as Morgana had explained, there was merely a chance of such happening. If everything worked out, then Kamoshida would only confess his crimes out of overwhelming guilt. That would be the best case scenario, though. Izuku knew that it was best to be prepared for the worst possibility. Well, the worst would be their failure, obviously, but the worst case scenario should they succeed was his primary fear.

 _Every action has a consequence…_ Izuku mused to himself, hand tightening on his bag strap. Immediately, the faces of the students in the dungeon crying for help raced through his mind. Almost before his eyes, he could see Suzui's desperation. Shaking his head, Izuku strengthened his resolve again, and decided on what he must do:

 _I will save them and avenge those he's hurt… and I will accept the consequences of what may happen._

* * *

 **(Persona 5 OST: To Another World)**

Izuku and Ryuji didn't waste any time once the final school bell rang, immediately heading down to the courtyard to meet. "Alright, let's not waste any time. Let's hurry up and go." Ryuji urged the two, tapping his foot impatiently. "Would we be able to go there from inside the school? Might make it faster to find that asshole and beat the shit outta him."

"Of course not, idiot. For one, I'm sure somebody would notice you two disappearing in thin air." Morgana huffed, shaking his head. "Besides, if we're a little off, we could end up in the middle of a group of enemies. I think I speak for all of us when I say that we don't want that to happen."

"Y-yeah, true, I guess…" Ryuji sighed, scratching the top of his head. "So, how's this gonna work? We just gotta go through the palace and find him, yeah?"

"No, nothing like that. Honestly speaking, we don't actually need to fight his Shadow to accomplish our mission. Though the probability of us fighting is high considering that the Shadow will do anything to protect it from us." Morgana went on to explain, earning a hum of thought from Izuku.

"So that means there's something else we have to take from the palace, then. And if it's that important to the ruler, he'll likely have it behind heavy protection. Would he keep it in a vault, or would he keep it close by so that he can always keep an eye on it? There's a lot to consider when it comes to-"

"Uh, dude. You're ramblin' again." Ryuji pointed out with a chuckle, his words immediately causing Izuku to fluster up and laugh sheepishly.

"Before we do this, I want to be completely sure. Are you both really ready to do this?" Morgana asked, looking between the two of them from Izuku's bag.

"Honestly, I don't give a shit what happens to that asshole, anymore. Suzui almost died because of him." Ryuji growled in acknowledgement, looking back up at Morgana. "I'm in."

"I can't stand to think what he'll keep doing to students if this keeps up. I want to stop him, no matter what." Izuku declared, though his eyes fell to the ground. "... But I-"

"Hey." The three were quickly interrupted, Morgana retreating inside of Izuku's shoulder bag immediately. Turning, both teens saw Ann standing there, eyes cast to the ground. "I heard you guys are going to get expelled…"

"Already that's spreadin'?!" Ryuji snapped, gripping his fist in annoyance. "That son of a bitch didn't even wait a day before spreadin' that rumor…"

"It's because you challenged Kamoshida, isn't it?" Ann pointed out, eyes drifting back up to them and hardening. "And now you're planning on taking him down, right?"

Ryuji narrowed his eyes, unsure what the platinum blonde was getting at. "What's it to you?"

"R-Ryuji-sempai, it's fine." Izuku spoke up, placing a hand on his shoulder before looking at Ann. His eyes were full of empathy, feeling Ann's pain. It might have been hard on him before, but Shiho was Ann's best friend. "I-I'm so sorry, Takamaki-sempai…"

Ann's eyes softened at that, her gaze shifting away for a moment as she fought back any more tears from falling. "Wh-what matters right now… is making Kamoshida pay." She reaffirmed, exchanging her grief for hate as she looked back up at the two. "And if you guys are going to try something, I want in."

Izuku and Ryuji both recoiled at that. While her sudden interest wasn't all that surprising, her involvement would be very problematic considering their plan of action against Kamoshida. Despite being taken off guard, Ryuji quickly hardened his eyes into a glare. "No. What we gotta do is risky as hell. And it's got nothin' to do with you."

Izuku flinched at the harshness in his words, but knew what Ryuji was doing and stayed silent. In truth, Izuku believed that if anyone had a right to be here, it was Ann. But that didn't mean he'd willingly put her in danger. "P-please, Takamaki-sempai. We don't want you getting in trouble with us if things go wrong…"

"You should know more than anyone how much this means to me!" Ann exclaimed, eyes turning to Izuku and making him falter slightly. "Shiho is my-"

"Stay outta our way!" Ryuji suddenly blanched, doing his best to act cruel. "You'll only make things harder on us, so don't get involved!"

Silence fell between the three again, Ann seething in anger as she had a staring match with Ryuji. Izuku gulped, the atmosphere thick enough to choke someone at this point. Finally, Ann let out an irritated grunt before turning away, taking her leave of the three. Izuku and Ryuji sighed in relief, glad to have the moment ended.

"That was pretty harsh of you to do, Ryuji." Morgana said, popping back out of Izuku's bag.

"I had to make her go away. We can't bring her to the palace only to get put in danger." Ryuji sighed, scratching at his scalp in frustration. "That's why we're not bringin' Nijima-sempai too, right?"

"Y-yes… Koto-san is strong, but the palace is… a lot different than another person with a Quirk…" Izuku agreed, looking back up at the school building. _I-I feel bad for leaving her behind after she offered us so much help, but… I won't put Koto-san in danger. Or put that responsibility on her shoulders._

"Well then, why don't we get going? We should move before something else tries to stop us." Morgana suggested, the two nodding in agreement and heading out the front of the school entrance. The three moved to the alleyway, giving them the privacy that they needed to move to the other world.

"I'm about to launch the app. You guys ready?" Ryuji announced, glancing at Izuku and Morgana, who was now on the ground between them.

"Y-yes. Let's do this!" Izuku nodded in determination.

"Remember, once we get to the other side, we'll be phantom thieves. So we'll need to address each other as such." Morgana declared, glancing between the two in scrutiny.

"Right, you mentioned that before, huh?" Ryuji hummed, looking up in thought. "I guess if we're stealin' his desires or whatever, that technically works. Plus it actually sounds kinda cool."

"Weren't you the one making fun of me for using the term the other day?!" Morgana complained, only for Izuku to step up between them.

"G-guys, let's focus on our objective." Izuku quickly reminded them, both Ryuji and Morgana suddenly feeling ashamed for getting off track.

"R-right. Sorry." Ryuji sighed, pulling his phone back up. "Alright. Let's do this. Launching now!" He exclaimed, pressing the app on his phone. Immediately, the world around them pulsed before melting away, the atmosphere changing hue again like before. This time, all three were immediately shifted into their previous attire, Morgana now taking the original form that Izuku and Ryuji knew. Looking forward, Izuku could see the familiar and ominous castle of Kamoshida's Shadow.

"Alright, let's tear this place apart!" Ryuji grinned in determination, jogging up to the entrance.

"Wait, we should go over everything first!" Morgana called out, groaning as he chased after Ryuji.

Izuku trailed shortly behind them, eyes fixed on the castle and releasing a breath. _There's no turning back, now. We'll save everyone._

"What the **hell**?!"

The three blinked and froze before quickly turning around, jaws dropping as they saw none other than Ann Takamaki standing there, staring at them in confusion. "Wh-wh-what's going on?!"

"Wh-why are you here?! **How** did you get here?!" Ryuji blurted out, trying to figure out where they all went wrong.

"Wh-what?! Sakamoto? A-and is that you, Midoriya-kun?!" Ann asked, her questions building up by the minute.

"T-Takamaki-sempai, calm down! W-we can explain, so just…" Izuku waved his arms desperately, looking to his friends for help. Ryuji stumbled on his words, unsure what to say. Morgana was… well, distracted, to say the least. The feline was silent as he stared dreamily at Ann, causing Izuku to nearly fall over in disbelief.

"What is this place?! Where are we?!" Ann asked again, looking around the area in uncertainty. "W-weren't we just at the school?! I-I mean I see the sign but… what is going on?!"

"What the hell, Morgana?! Why is she here?!" Ryuji said, turning his attention to the cat.

Shaking from his lost thoughts, Morgana cleared his throat. "It would seem that she was dragged in by that app thing along with us. She was likely close by when it happened."

"T-that makes sense. We were dragged in here the first time, too…" Izuku hummed in thought, holding his chin. "B-but still, that's pretty dangerous. We'll have to be careful next time not to accidently bring anyone else in…"

"Okay, explain to me what the hell is going on!" Ann snapped, immediately causing Izuku to flinch out of his thoughts.

"Please be quiet, milady. You'll drag a lot of attention our way if you make too much noise." Morgana pleaded in a polite tone. Ann turned her attention to the cat, blinking in shock.

"W-wait, wh-who's the cat kid?! H-he looks too small to be our age! I didn't see you before!" Ann piled on with the questions, her words cutting through Morgana's heart.

"Wh-what?! C-cat kid? B-but I'm not-I mean you-" Morgana sputtered out, flustered by the insinuation of being called both a cat **and** a kid by the beautiful blonde.

"You guys better explain what's going on to me!" Ann demanded, glaring at Izuku and Ryuji this time. Izuku swallowed nervously, letting out a sheepish chuckle before looking at Ryuji.

"Looks like we gotta force her out." Ryuji sighed, ignoring her demand and looking at Izuku. "But how we gonna do that in the first place?"

"W-we probably just have to use the app again at the same spot we brought her in by, but…" Izuku muttered, looking at Ann again and rubbing his arm. "H-how are we going to make her leave?"

"We'll just have to push her out ourselves. Come on Izuku, lend me a hand." Ryuji said, walking forward without a care.

"M-m-me?! B-but I don't know if I…" Izuku trailed off, sweat trailing down his face.

"Hey, don't you even-" Ryuji quickly grabbed her arm, attempting to pull Ann along while she struggled. "Hey! Let go of me!"

"S-s-sorry, Takamaki-sempai!" Izuku blanched, quickly running up and grabbing her other arm. _This is for her own good, this is for her own good! D-don't think about it! J-just pull her along to safety!_

"H-hey! Where did you just touch me?!" Ann growled, turning a glare Ryuji's way.

"O-oh, s-sorry! I was-y-you were struggling too much and-that's not important!" The faux blond disregarded. "I-Izuku! Get a better hold on her!"

"I-I can't… I'm at my limit…" Izuku admitted, his face hot red and sweat pouring down his face. _I-I'm actually touching a girl! Thi-this is..! Th-think of it like Koto-san, think of it like Koto-san!_

"Dude, focus!"

After some struggling (and some in and out fainting by Izuku) they were able to push Ann out and teleport her back to the real world before coming back. Ryuji and Izuku took a moment to catch their breath.

"What a great way to kick off our infiltration." Ryuji grumbled, standing up straight and rolling his shoulder. "Now we gotta deal with Ann when we get back. That's not gonna be fun…"

"I-it'll be hard to explain everything, too…" Izuku muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "S-still, I do feel bad that we had to do that…"

"Just remember that it's for Ann's sake. Last thing we need is her getting involved." Ryuji reminded him, turning around. "By the way, where'd Morgana go?"

"Over here." Morgana called from the gate, skipping down to the two. "I was checking to see the state of the palace. Thanks to all the noise we made getting Lady Ann out, the Shadows have started to become aware of our presence."

"Just great. Well, guess we knew it wouldn't be easy." Ryuji sighed before giving a grin, holding a fist out to Izuku. "You ready, partner?"

Izuku composed himself, putting on a confident expression and nodding, bumping his own fist against Ryuji's. "Yeah. Let's put a stop to Kamoshida."

"We'll be counting on you, Joker!" Morgana proclaimed, his gaze now directed at Izuku, causing the green haired teen to blink in surprise.

"Joker? That a nickname or somethin'?" Ryuji asked curiously.

"Don't make it sound so lame. We're phantom thieves now! We have to have code names to refer to each other instead of our real names, after all."

"A-ah, I see. But isn't that kind of unnecessary?" Izuku suggested, holding his chin in thought. "After all, our targets don't remember anything that happens in the cognitive world, so-"

"If we're going to be phantom thieves, we're doing it right! And that means codenames!" Morgana snapped at the teen, causing him to recoil and quickly concede to his wish. "Besides, while the target might not remember our actions, running around yelling our real names might have some effect on the real Kamoshida. It is his cognition, after all."

"A-ah, I see…" Izuku muttered, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"But anyways, yes. I picked Joker for this guy since he's like our trump card when it comes to fighting strength. You might still be wet behind the ears, but there's no doubt your Persona is incredibly strong." Morgana explained, turning a grin back to Izuku.

"Hm. I get that, but…" Ryuji hummed for a moment, holding his chin. "I feel like it doesn't fit Izuku that well. How about Hero, instead?"

"H-hero?!" Izuku blanched, feeling himself fluster up over the suggestion.

"Why Hero?" Morgana asked curiously, crossing his paws over his chest.

"Well, just look at his outfit. It looks like a hero costume, doesn't it?" Ryuji motioned to Izuku's attire, his words holding true. "Besides, this guy just fits that kinda thing. Dude's been savin' my ass a couple times, now."

Izuku couldn't outright admit it, but he actually loved the idea of being called "Hero". Sure, it would just be a code name, but he had only dreamed of being called a hero before. But moments later, his expression immediately fell as dark thoughts suddenly rose in his mind, eyes falling to the ground. "I… I don't know… a hero would have been able to save Suzui-sempai…"

Ryuji and Morgana both frowned in sympathy, the mention of the poor girl causing Ryuji a bit of guilt for making him think of it. "Dude, that's why we're here, isn't it? We're gonna make him pay for what he did and confess his crimes. We might be thieves, but we're also helpin' save some people. I'd say that makes us, especially you, heroes."

"I guess thieves can be heroes, too." Morgana smiled up in reassurance, hoping to make Izuku feel better.

Their words helped ease Izuku somewhat, the green haired teen releasing a deep breath before looking back up at them and nodding. "Right. I-if you guys are okay with it, you can call me Hero, then."

"Well, if you like it that much, I won't argue." Morgana chuckled before looking at Ryuji. "So now about you? Considering the clothes and the bleached hair, how about… Thug?"

"Oh, you're just tryin' to start a fight, now." Ryuji huffed, shaking his head. "I'll come up with my own. Somethin' that's kinda like… my mask, maybe. I actually think it's pretty cool."

"M-maybe Bone or Skull, then?" Izuku suggested, Ryuji brightening at his suggestions.

"Oh, Skull! I like that! You guys can now call me Skull!" Ryuji grinned, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Oh, fine. Now, onto my code name. Any ideas?" Morgana asked, glancing between the two. "And before you say anything, I don't want **any** cat related ideas."

"Well, geez. Just take away ninety percent of suggestions." Ryuji chuckled, earning a small glare from the cat. "Well, how about Mona? Sound good to you?"

"Mona? Like the Mona Lisa? Why that name?" Izuku asked, genuinely curious.

"Well, he is the only veteran thief here, so I thought it kinda fit. Plus it's like a short version of his name." Ryuji shrugged in answer.

"Well, if that's fine with Hero, it's fine with me." Morgana conceded, not seeing a need in complaining too much.

"Th-that seems fine to me, then." Izuku nodded in acceptance.

"Alright, from now on, we're Hero, Skull and Mona. Remember each codename well and start using it when referring to each other while we're in the palace." Morgana reminded them, though he looked specifically at Ryuji when he said this. "I believe that's the last order of business. Now, let's get going."

"Right." Ryuji nodded in acceptance, waiting for Izuku to take the lead.

"A-actually… there's one thing I want to bring up before we go in." Izuku declared, causing his teammates to pause and look back at him. A bead of sweat rolled down his cheek, now feeling a bit nervous at saying it straight out.

"What's up? Gettin' kinda nervous?" Ryuji asked, raising a hidden brow at the green haired teen.

"I-I'm not hesitating about what we have to do, anymore. I know that right now, this really is the only thing we can do to save everyone. I'm willing to put myself on the line to do that, and I'm glad that you're all here with me." Izuku began to explain, but his expression remained grim. "But… even though I've resolved to do it, I still wouldn't be able to forgive myself if we ended up killing Kamoshida…"

"Oh, come on, dude. An asshole like Kamoshida doesn't deserve any sympathy, and you know it." Ryuji argued, Morgana nodding in agreement.

"Just remember the fact that he didn't even bat an eye when you saw him. Like that Suzui girl didn't just attempt suicide." Morgana encouraged, his words working well to make Izuku pity him less. But regardless, he shook his head.

"I… I really do hate, Kamoshida. I do. B-but even so, killing him is crossing a dangerous line…" Izuku explained before looking down at Morgana. "B-but it's like you said… heroes take a chance when using their powers to save people and fight enemies all the time. I've always wanted to live by my principles and be a true hero, even when I can't actually be one. So… I decided that I'm going to take the risk. If we can achieve this without Kamoshida, I'll be happy. We'll have done it without going against what I believe."

"But… if we accidently kill him?" Ryuji asked, knowing that something else was following the statement as his brow furrowed in concern. Izuku looked at the ground again and sighed, resigning to accept his previous promise.

"I'll accept the consequences of it. I'll turn myself into the police… and say that I killed Kamoshida."

 **To be continued…**

 **Well, that chapter didn't take too long to complete, thankfully! Thought it might take until the 17th this month, honestly. But hey, like I said, I got on a role and jammed on this chapter. I was worried at first because the first half was progressing so slowly, but the second half I was able to surprisingly zoom through.**

 **There was a lot of concern about Izuku being blamed for Shiho's attempted suicide since he was on the roof, but… to be honest, I hadn't given that much thought. Honestly you'd have to pay pretty close attention to the roof to notice him up there like Makoto did, and with the fence, it was unlikely he would have been seen. Sure, you could say that someone saw them walk down from the roof, but most students if not all would be too focused on who fell and seeing if she survived rather than focus back on the roof. So yeah, sorry if that disappointed some people, but that just wasn't a plot point I was going to use. To be honest, as someone pointed out, if I did that, it would likely be grounds to expel Izuku on the spot, even without proof.**

 **Anyways, that's the end of the chapter. I hope you all enjoyed it, please leave a review, a follow and a favorite for me!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I own neither My Hero Academia or Persona series**

Chapter 10

 **(My Hero Academia OST: Izuku's Crisis)**

Morgana and Ryuji stared at Izuku in bewilderment, his declaration of responsibility catching them both off guard. Izuku knew it might be a bit hard for them to accept, but he didn't want to keep his decision a secret. With everything they had been through and were about to take on, Izuku wanted to be honest with Ryuji and Morgana. They didn't deserve to be blindsided should the worst come to pass.

" **What**?!" Ryuji and Morgana cried out, both taking a step toward Izuku.

"Dude, what the hell?! You can't do that!" Ryuji argued, panic written all over his face.

"Don't worry. I'm not going to say anything about you, Ryuji-sempai. I'm going to take all the blame." Izuku tried to reassure, staying firm in his decision.

"That's not what I mean! I mean that you shouldn't give yourself up like that!" Ryuji retorted, stomping his foot in frustration. "Forget havin' a record, you'll be put in jail! That bastard ain't worth your entire future!"

"It's not about Kamoshida. It's… it's about what I can accept." Izuku admitted, eyes falling to the ground as sweat started to trail down his brow. "I… I decided that I would do this for the students who couldn't do anything about it. For Suzui-sempai. But I'm still afraid of what might result from this." looking up, Izuku turned his attention to Morgana. "You said it, before. Heroes take chances every time that they go out and use their powers. But they would also be held accountable for making a mistake like killing someone. So… I'll hold myself accountable if that's what happens…"

"Izuku…" Ryuji muttered, unsure what else to say. The conviction in Izuku's eyes repelled him from trying to argue. Izuku had decided to shoulder the burden of responsibility. He could see little in the way of convincing him otherwise.

"But… how will you be able to convince the cops you did it?" Morgana asked, his eyes and tone conveying his own concern.

"I'll say that… that I awakened to my Quirk late." Izuku sighed, scratching the back of his head. "I-I'll say that I realized what I was capable of but… went too far and killed him by accident."

Silence soon followed, Izuku's partners in crime soaking in his words. There wasn't much to be said on the matter. Izuku wasn't going to fold under their arguments, that was painfully obvious to them. Knowing that, though, Ryuji and Morgana nodded in acceptance.

"Alright, then. With all that said, let's make sure we don't kill that asshole." Ryuji smirked, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"That works for me. I'll make sure we do things right. It would look bad on me if I allowed that kind of result in my first attempt at guiding you two, anyway." Morgana chuckled, looking up at Izuku with a smile.

"You guys…" Izuku muttered, giving them both a thankful smile.

"Yeah, so don't go givin' up your freedom just yet." Ryuji said with a more energetic grin, punching Izuku lightly in the shoulder. "We got this."

Izuku nodded, gripping his hand in front of him. "Right. Let's go!" He told them, his partners in crime nodding in agreement. They didn't take another moment, heading for the side entrance. At this point, it was obvious for Izuku and Ryuji that going through the front was a mistake. Hopping through the front window, the three scanned the room for any guards, thankful that it was empty.

"I guess we're lucky that the guards don't bother to check every room." Izuku hummed in thought, walking forward and opening the door slowly. He peered out, looking left and right quickly to make sure the coast was clear. He stopped though when he could see a gathering of guards in the main hall.

"What's goin-" Ryuji began to ask, only for Izuku to quickly silence him with a motion. He signaled for the two to join him, Morgana and Ryuji slowly peering out beside him to see the guards. "Holy shit, there's so many of 'em…"

"Alright, men. Listen up." Izuku and Ryuji widened their eyes when they heard Kamoshida's voice booming. He wasn't visible in their line of sight, but they guessed he was at the front of the hall as he spoke to them. "It seems that some rats might be running around my precious castle, again. If they think they can just waltz around like they own the place, they can think again. Find the rats and put them out of their misery. Don't bother trying to capture them."

"Yes, King Kamoshida!" His entourage proclaimed, stepping into formation before beginning to disperse.

"That cocky bastard… we'll show him soon enough." Ryuji growled, the three retreating back into the room. "Alright, so how we go about destroyin' this castle, Mona?"

"First we must find the source of Kamoshida's distorted desires, which I have dubbed the Treasure of the palace." Morgana explained, placing his paws on his hips. "Once we find that, all we have to do is steal it. There's going to be a few more steps to it from there, but I'll explain that once we've located our target."

"So… where exactly is the Treasure, then?" Izuku asked thoughtfully, peering slightly out the door to keep an eye out. "Does Kamoshida have it on him?"

"Not likely. While the king might be full of himself, even he will go to great lengths to protect his Treasure." Morgana dismissed, shaking his head. "No, it's going to be more difficult than that, unfortunately. Palace rulers keep their Treasure in the most secured part of the castle. It's unlikely that we're going to find it on this floor, in fact."

"Damn. Guess this ain't gonna be an in and out job, huh?" Ryuji grumbled, kicking the rug in annoyance.

"No. This is going to take us some time, I think. We might not even be able to accomplish everything in one day." Morgana declared honestly, turning his head to the side in thought. "What we need to do right now is establish a path to the Treasure. Now, considering the dungeon is all that is downstairs, we can safely cross it off our list of places to check for the Treasure."

"Kamoshida will likely have it in the highest part of the castle, then. He'd want to keep it as far away from others as possible, right?" Izuku guessed, holding his chin as he tilted his head down. "If the overall size of the castle is the same as the school, it should only be three floors. Four if you count the rooftop."

"You might be right, but trust me when I say that it's likely that all four floors will be quite different as we go up. Things are only going to get tougher as we get closer to the Treasure, after all." Morgana warned, eliciting a grunt from Ryuji.

"Well, I guess we knew things weren't gonna be that easy. Let's get goin' then." Ryuji sighed, rolling his arm and getting ready to move. Izuku and Morgana took another peek outside the room, seeing that the knights had dispersed to different parts of the castle. Motioning back to him, Ryuji quickly followed after Izuku and Morgana into the next room across the hall. Pushing the doors open, Izuku widened his eyes when he came face to face with a guard, balancing lamely on one foot as he tried to regain his composure.

"Huh?! The intruders!" The knight exclaimed, stomping toward the three.

"Let's take it out!" Ryuji snarled, rushing past Izuku this time. He swung a pipe forward in hand, the weapon having materialized alongside his Persona like Izuku's staff. He smashed the hunk of metal into the knight, knocking it off balance and causing it to stumble back. Ooze spilled from behind its mask, covering its body before materializing into the blue clad pixie they had seen the last time.

"Nice hit, Skull! Now bring out your guns!" Morgana ordered, looking at Izuku.

"Our guns?" Izuku muttered in question before it suddenly occurred to him. Reaching into his jacket pocket, he was surprised when he produced the model gun of Snipe's revolver. Looking over at Ryuji, his eyes widened to find him with a model shotgun in hand, the delinquent beaming in amazement.

"Aw, hell yeah! Let's do some damage!" Ryuji laughed, pointing his gun forward. Izuku followed suit, the two preparing to open fire upon the pixie.

"W-w-wait, don't shoot! I-I won't tell lord Kamoshida!" The pixie begged, holding its hands together in fear. Ryuji and Izuku widened their eyes in shock, having not realized before that the Shadows could actually feel fear, much less beg for mercy.

"Yeah, right! Like we're gonna fall for that!" Ryuji grunted, snapping back into reality. "Don't listen to it, Izu-Hero! It's just tryin' to get the jump on us!"

"Don't be too sure, Skull. Even though Shadows are beings formed by negative emotion, they still have the fear of death in them." Morgana pointed out, smirking in thought. "This is actually a good chance to show you guys another tactic. Something I like to call a hold up."

"A hold up?" Izuku repeated, eyes snapping between Morgana and the Shadow, making sure not to drop his guard.

"That's right. I'll start this off." Morgana skipped forward, clearing his throat. "Alright, Shadow. If you wanna make it out of here alive, you better have something good for us."

"I-I have money! Pl-please, here, take it!" The pixie pleaded, reaching into its nonexistent pockets before producing a thousand yen bill.

"Wait, what the hell?! Is that real money?!" Ryuji gasped, stepping forward and snatching the money from the pixie's hand.

"That's right. Shadows are aware of what humans collectively desire. For the most part, its money. In some cases, though, you can get an item from a Shadow instead. Something that could help us out while we're in a palace." Morgana explained before looking back at the Shadow, leering. "Alright, you can go."

"Th-thank you! But you'll never be able to beat King Kamoshida! That money won't mean much!" It laughed, getting in the last word before spreading its wings and floating away from them.

"Is it really okay to be lettin' that thing fly off like that?" Ryuji asked, walking over to join Morgana with Izuku. "Won't it go tell other guards where we're at?"

"Not likely. When a Shadow has been released like that one was, it usually returns to a distorted formless state. We don't have to worry about enemies getting away or helping out another enemy in the long run after defeating them." Morgana explained, crossing his paws over his chest.

"I see… that solves one problem, but…" Izuku muttered, a small bead of sweat on his cheek as he scratched his head. "I'm not sure how I feel about the whole 'Hold Up' thing, though…" It wasn't much of a surprise to Ryuji or Morgana that the green haired teen felt conflicted over the tactic. They were basically robbing the Shadows at gunpoint.

"Don't worry so much about it, Hero. It's not like they're actual people. Just some distorted emotions or whatever Mona said." Ryuji tried to reassure, patting him on the back.

"Skull is right, as hard as that is to believe." Mona chuckled, earning a glare from the faux blond. "Don't think of our enemies as innocent bystanders or even as people. They're nothing more than dark emotions taking physical form."

Izuku rubbed his arm hesitantly, but nodded in acceptance. "I suppose… it will be beneficial to be able to get something out of our encounters with Shadows. Even if it seems like a dirty tactic…"

"Ever the straight arrow, Hero. Your codename is becoming more and more fitting." Morgana chuckled, turning and skipping forward. "Come on. Let's find some more enemies. We're going to have to put in a bit of practice for you."

"Y-you want to keep trying it?!"

* * *

"I… guess I'm back in…"

To say that Ann was confused by everything she saw would be an understatement. When Midoriya and Ryuji had forced her into the alley, she quickly tried to chase after them, but found she was back on the school grounds, students carelessly passing by without giving her any notice. Ann had so many questions running through her head. She wanted to know what those two were up to. She wanted to know what that place was. How it would do anything to put an end to Kamoshida. But as she scoured the school gate for answers, Ann was about ready to give up hope of knowing anything until she saw the two again.

That was until a strange app appeared on her phone.

Ann had recalled what the phone had repeated before to Izuku and Ryuji, thankfully, and repeated the words to her own phone. Before she even realized it, Ann was faced once again with the same layout that she saw when she followed the two. They were both gone, but the castle was still largely present.

"I can't believe it… so that was real…" Ann muttered, eyes trailing up the as she examined the castle, subconsciously gulping. The red stone walls were intimidating, looming over her like a great shadow blotting out the sun. "What exactly did that phone app do..?"

Ann gripped her fist, shaking her head and strengthening her resolve. Whatever this castle was, whatever Ryuji and Izuku were planning, it was definitely meant to take down Kamoshida. And Ann refused not to be apart of that. "I'll find out what those two are up to…"

"Princess?" Ann blinked when she heard speak up. The voice was neither Ryuji or Izuku. When she looked ahead, she saw several men in towering armor approaching her, the sight causing her to recoil.

"Wh-what?! Who are you guys?!" Ann asked in fear, her words doing little to stop them from approaching.

"Princess!" they called out with more urgency, the guards rushing faster and surrounding Ann.

"H-hey! Get away from me!" Ann cried out, powerless to stop the guards from taking her in hand and carrying her inside the castle.

* * *

"A-alright! G-give me whatever you have! Money or items… please..?"

The trio of phantom thieves had encountered several shadows at this point, though they hadn't been able to get the drop on them like they had with their first enemy. The first few encounters, while going well enough that they defeated them with little trouble, they had not been able to do another hold up until this point. Unfortunately for Izuku, Morgana urged him to take the lead in the interrogation.

"... Was that really the best you could do?" Pixie asked in disappointment, her fear of death almost gone thanks to Izuku's meek proclamation.

Sweat dripped down Izuku's face as he gulped in embarrassment. He knew this would likely be a challenge for him to do. For one, Izuku was still a bit reluctant to do the hold up's in the first place because of the ethical questionability of them. Second, Izuku was still not the most confident when addressing others. While he was starting to become more comfortable around certain people, this was a completely different situation. As things were, he was failing miserably at looking or sounding intimidating.

"We really need to work on your execution, Hero…" Morgana muttered to the green haired teen with a sigh, Izuku rubbing his head

"Hey! Don't get all smart with us if you know what's good for you!" Ryuji snapped, pumping his shotgun as he decided to take over for his friend. "Give us what you got if you wanna make it outta here alive!"

The pixie become alert again, holding its hands up in surrender. "P-please don't hurt me! B-but this happened so suddenly and I… I don't have anything to give you!"

The three stiffened at her answer, Izuku and Ryuji looking at one another before both glanced at Morgana for answers. The cat merely scratched behind his ear sheepishly before coughing out. "Um… I wasn't prepared for what should happen if they didn't have anything. I suppose we'll just have to send her to hell, instead."

"W-what?! No way!" the pixie cried out in fear, eyes darting from each person, her eyes pleading for an escape. "Pl-please! There has to be a way that you'll let me go, instead!"

"Sorry, but we're kind of in a hurry. It's faster to just eliminate you." Morgana shrugged, holding his sling shot higher and aiming for her head.

"Geez, it sounds pretty damn cruel when he says it out loud…" Ryuji muttered, though preparing to blast the Shadow to pieces regardless.

"W-wait! We can just let her go!" Izuku suggested this time, looking between his two friends. "I understand eliminating Shadows when we don't have a choice, but…" looking down at the pixie, Izuku's expression softened. Even if it wasn't human and killing it wasn't the same as any other sentient being, he couldn't just watch as they shot the Shadow in cold blood. "L-like you said, there's no real problem if we let it go since it can't warn other Shadows, right?"

"Well… that is true…" Morgana relented, slightly lowering his sling shot. "I guess if it's that big of a deal for you, then we can let it go…"

"Really?! You will?!" The pixie smiled hopefully, gaze turning to Izuku. "I guess you're the type who tries to be nice to everyone, huh?" Izuku felt embarrassed being told that, especially since he was supposed to be the aggressor in this situation. Despite this, the Shadow gave a small giggle and a gentle smile. "It's okay, though. I don't mind that in a guy. In fact, I… I…" the pixie suddenly froze, eyes literally shining as realization crossed her expression. "I… I am thou…"

"H-huh?" Izuku blinked in confusion, glancing at Morgana. The cat seemed just as confused, Mona's eyes wide in shock.

"Wh-what's going on? This is…" Morgana muttered, raising his slingshot again due to his confusion, but not shooting.

"Uh, Mona? She's doin' somethin' weird!" Ryuji exclaimed, unsure if he should open fire.

"I don't belong to King Kamoshida… I never did…" the Shadow declared slowly, raising its body from the ground as a blue aura started to surround its body, eyes peering directly into Izuku's. "I'm an existence that drifts about in the sea of humanity's souls… My real name… is Pixie! And from now on… I shall live in thy heart!" The blue energy enveloped Pixie's being, flashing brightly before taking a smaller shape, the shape of Izuku's mask. Without warning, the mask flew at Izuku, absorbing into the mask on his face. The green haired teen felt energy spread through his body for a brief moment before disappearing just as fast. _What… what was that?_

"Hero! Are you alright?!" Morgana exclaimed, he and Ryuji quickly rushing over to Izuku's side to examine him.

"What the heck was that, Mona?! You didn't say anything about that happenin'!" Ryuji complained, looking at the cat in accusation.

"I-I don't know! This is the first time I've seen something like that occurr!" Morgana snapped at the faux blond before looking back at Izuku in concern. "Are you… alright? Did it do something to you?"

"I… I don't know." Izuku admitted, looking down at himself for answers. He didn't feel much different as things were. In fact, he felt completely fine. He couldn't pinpoint any sort of indication that whatever Pixie did had hurt him in any way. In fact, it seemed like she had fused with him in some way. _She said she would live in my heart… but that means…_

"Crap! Enemies incoming!" Ryuji suddenly exclaimed, pulling Izuku's attention back to reality. Looking up, a knight had already melted away into a Shadow, the double horned horse that the three were used to encountering at this point.

"Death to the enemies of King Kamoshida!" It roared out in anger, quickly swinging its horns down and knocking Ryuji into the back wall.

"Skull!" Izuku cried out in fear, watching as the faux blond grunted in pain. Quickly stepping forward, Izuku took a protective position in front of Mona and Skull, hand reaching up to his mask to summon Carter.

 _Oh, oh, pick me, master~! I want to help!_

Izuku widened his eyes as he heard a voice in his head. It wasn't Carter this time, though. It was undoubtedly Pixie, the Shadow that he had absorbed. _S-so wait, she-I mean-you really are-_

"Hero, watch out!" Morgana warned, the green haired teen snapping his eyes forward to see the Shadow charging him. Izuku grimaced, quickly diving out of its path for fear of being gored through by the beast. "Don't lose focus in battle!"

"Y-yeah, sorry! I just…" Izuku muttered, gulping as he tried to figure out how to explain what was going on in his mind right now. Or heart, he supposed.

 _Summon her forth, kid. Realize the power that you possess._ This time it was Carter who spoke, Izuku's eyes widening as he heard his Persona. Gulping, Izuku reached toward his mask and obeyed. _Focus on her name and image, bring her forward to do battle!_

"Pixie!" Izuku cried out, pulling the mask from his face. It then erupted in blue flame, Morgana and Ryuji widening their eyes in shock as the Shadow they had previously defeated sprang from the flames.

" _Hi~!_ " Pixie greeted, blowing a kiss to no one in general as she faced off against the Shadow ahead of them.

"W-wait, what?! Ain't that the Shadow from before?!" Ryuji blanched in utter shock, pushing off the wall as he looked to Morgana for answers.

"I-it is! Were you… able to absorb the Shadow's powers and image and make a Persona from it?!" Morgana asked, no less confused than Ryuji at the moment.

"Pixie, strike!" Izuku cried out, ignoring his friends for a moment as he focused on the Shadow. Like with Carter, he immediately knew what powers Pixie possessed, and was able to lash out on instinct. As the horse charged at him again, Pixie raised its arms and unleashed a bolt of electricity from its palms. The Bicorn cried out in pain, the attack enough to stop its charge. "Skull, now!"

"Huh? Oh-right!" Ryuji quickly readied himself, pulling his mask off and summoning Captain Kidd forward. "Tear 'em to pieces!" He cried out, the Persona rearing its boat at the bottom and smashing the mast into the Shadow's back and crushing it. The beast let out a bloodcurdling scream before exploding into a mess of black ooze, melting away before the three.

Izuku took a deep breath before placing his mask back on his face, Pixie fading from existence and giving him a wink. Looking back at his friends, Ryuji and Morgana quickly rushed back up to Izuku, both with looks of awe across their face.

"Dude, that was insane! I didn't know you could have more than one!" Ryuji said, turning to Morgana in question. "Why didn't you say anything about it?"

"This is news to me, too!" Morgana retorted, glancing up at Izuku in wonder. "As it normally goes, people with the potential for Personas should only have one as each person only has one heart. But it looks like Hero is capable of having multiple…"

"So… I can have a Persona outside of Carter?" Izuku muttered in thought, pulling off his mask without summoning a Persona. Memories started to flood back, realization crossing his features as his mind drifted back to his previous talk with the occupants of the Velvet Room.

" _Personas are the strength of heart. With the formation of bonds, your_ _ **Personas**_ _will also grow with them."_

Justine's words echoed in his ears. _So that's what she meant. I really can have more than just Carter as my Persona._ "This… this could really help us out. Pixie isn't that strong compared to Carter, but she still possesses powers that he doesn't have…"

"And the more Personas you are able to gather from Shadows, the more weaknesses you can exploit!" Morgana concluded, a large grin spreading across his lips. "This is incredible! This will give us an the edge we need when coming against so many different enemies!"

"Oh man, seriously?! Hell yeah!" Ryuji laughed, slapping Izuku's shoulder. "We're gonna have to keep doin' this, then! We'll hold up everyone we can!"

"Right! I'll do my best to take advantage, too!" Izuku nodded in agreement, giving them both a smile before it slightly faltered. "W-wait… does this mean I have to negotiate with all of them?"

Morgana tilted his head in thought before humming out an answer. "Probably. That Shadow didn't absorb into your mask until after you were able to find some sort of common ground. It's probably going to be up to you when it comes to gaining new Personas that way. So whenever we get the chance, we're definitely going to have to work on your negotiation skills."

"Y-yeah…" Izuku muttered dejectedly, scratching his hair in defeat.

"Still, I can't believe you have such an amazing ability. I got pretty lucky when I met you two, it seems!" Morgana laughed, eyes sparkling in amazement. "I'll make sure your power doesn't get wasted. We'll get you the best Personas possible! Now, with that said, let's get moving!"

Seeing no reason to argue, Izuku and Ryuji went back into action, the trio moving on to the next hallway. Peering down, Izuku saw two doorways ahead of them, eyes dancing between them. A sudden shimmer in the farthest door pulsed, Izuku realizing what that meant.

"Mona, the end hallway door is a safe room, I think." Izuku informed, Morgana raising a brow before nodding.

"Gotcha. If you guys want, we can take a quick rest or keep going." Morgana asked, glancing at Izuku and Ryuji. Before either could answer, though, footsteps and voices echoed from the doorway they just exited through.

"Shit, more are comin'!" Ryuji grunted quietly, glancing at his partners in question. "What are we gonna do, then?"

"Let's head to the safe room. We don't need unnecessary fights!" Izuku suggested, Morgana and Ryuji nodding in agreement. They quickly made their way to the safe room, making sure to lock the door as they entered but staying close to listen in on the soldiers. They wanted to make sure that none were left when they departed the safe room, and the underlying fear that Mona might have been wrong when it comes to whether or not a Shadow would enter this room. Thankfully, it could be heard that the soldiers were going through the next door, Izuku and Ryuji breathing out in relief.

"Damn. I mighta underestimated just how many of those guys are actually runnin' around." Ryuji admitted, scratching his head in annoyance. "We've already fought a few, already. How many more do we gotta get through?"

"I'd prepare myself for a long day of fighting if I were you, Skull." Morgana said, glancing back at the faux blond with a somewhat sympathetic look. "We've barely made it through a few rooms as is. We've still got a lot of ground to cover before we can even establish an infiltration route."

"Yeah. Going through all of this now, I'm kind of surprised you tried doing this alone." Izuku hummed, looking down at Morgana in thought. "We've at least had numbers advantage, but imagining it alone doesn't sound very easy."

"I'll admit, it wasn't the greatest idea." Morgana sighed, looking away from the two in shame. "But I didn't really have a choice. I wanted to regain my memories, and the only clue I have is that it's linked to palaces. I couldn't wait around and expect to find strangers who happened to have the same ability as me, after all. Still, I'm glad things worked out this way rather than having to tackle it on my own over and over again."

"Speakin' of which, I've been meanin' to ask." Ryuji spoke up, turning to the cat in question. "You say you lost your memory and crap, but you know all about these palaces. How does that work?"

"Ah, in some cases, people can lose memory of who they are but still remember basic information like going to the bathroom or how to eat." Izuku spoke up surprisingly, tilting his head down as he held his chin. "The amount of information lost varies from person to person depending on how severe, but it's still possible to retain certain memories even after you lose memory of who you are."

"O-oh, really? Damn…" Ryuji muttered, rubbing his head awkwardly.

"See? So stop being a moron and accept what I've told you so far." Morgana triumphantly grinned, turning to Izuku with appreciation. "Thank you, Hero. You really make Skull look pretty dumb with your insight."

"Oh, put a sock in it, cat." Ryuji snapped in annoyance. "You talk big, but you could still end up just bein' some house cat. You don't even know if you really are human."

"I have to be human! There's no doubt about it!" Morgana retorted, sending a weak glare Ryuji's way. Despite his words, his gaze somewhat faltered as he looked away. "I have to be…"

Izuku opened his mouth to speak again, but hesitated when he heard footsteps outside the door. Holding a finger to his mouth, Izuku motioned to the door to alert the others of the guards.

"What was the princess doing outside the castle?" The three heard, the trio suddenly becoming more interested and standing closer to the door. "She normally never leaves King Kamoshida's chamber unless he calls her out."

"Princess?" Ryuji repeated in question, Izuku peering back at him.

"That imitation of Takamaki-sempai, I think…" Izuku guessed, remembering when the cognitive creation from days before.

"Quiet!" Morgana urged them, leaning his ear against the door.

"It was rather strange. We only found her because we thought we were following the signal of an intruder." They heard again, Morgana furrowing his brow in confusion before looking back at the two.

"I better check this out. You two stay here." Morgana suggested, cracking open the door and slipping out before either could protest.

"What do you think that's about?" Ryuji asked, earning a small shrug from Izuku in response.

"We put Takamaki-sempai back in the real world, so there should be no way they're talking about her, right?" Izuku suggested with a hopeful smile.

"I wouldn't put too much stock in that idea." Morgana quickly spoke as he sped back through the door, a sense of panic in his voice. "It looks like Lady Ann was captured by the Shadows!"

Izuku and Ryuji both stared wide eyed at the cat, looking at one another in alert. "But how?! We made sure to put her back in our world and everything! That doesn't make sense!"

"Sh-she would have to have the app! But Skull and I are the only ones who… have it…" Izuku muttered before realization crossed his expression. "That is, unless… the moment she came to this world, the app appeared on her phone, too…"

Ryuji bit his bottom lip, realizing what that meant. "Shit, so that's how it works?! Damn it! The whole point of kicking her out was to make sure that she'd be safe!"

"W-we don't have much time to think about it! Let's go before something bad happens to her!" Izuku quickly advised, Morgana and Ryuji briefly hesitating before nodding in agreement, quickly following behind as he took the lead.

* * *

"Let me go, you bastards!" Ann complained, struggling in the hands of her captors. The knights simply ignored her, dragging the twin tailed blonde through a long room. On the ground surrounding her, pink silhouettes of girls giggled carelessly. Ann had no idea what they were, but noticed the fact that they wore Shujin's P.E. shirts. Instead of the sweat pants, though, they wore legless spanks. _What_ _ **are**_ _these things?! This doesn't make any sense at all!_

Glancing forward, Ann realized they were dragging her to some kind of strange restraint, a large brass X at the end of the room right in front of a picture of Kamoshida. _Wh-what the hell?!_

"Place her arms in the restraints." One of the knights said, paying her little mind as they got closer to the strange object.

"Y-you bastards. I'm not... just going to take this!" Ann cried out as she wiggled more. Bearing her teeth, Ann decided it was time to put her Quirk into action. She quickly lurched forward at the arm of the knight restraining her left side, teeth sinking deep into the armor.

" **GAH**!" The guard cried out in pain, releasing her arm from its grasp. It had been a while since Ann had bitten into metal so hard, breaking off the chunk that she was able to catch in her mouth and spitting it out.

"I told you to let me go, asshole!" Ann growled in anger, glaring up at the knight before her eyes trailed down to his arm. Her eyes went wide, seeing that a strange black ooze seemed to drip from his arm rather than blood. "Wh-what the hell is- **AGH**!"

"Enough out of you!" The other guard suddenly hit her in the back with its shield, causing Ann to fall to her knees in pain. "There's no way such a vulgar wench is our princess!" it proclaimed, reaching back down and grabbing her arm again. The other guard seemed to do the same, ignoring the missing piece of its body and continuing forward with Ann in hand. The raised her arms up and pinned her against the cross, binding her hands.

"You bastards! What the hell is going on!" Ann cried out, struggling weakly against her binds. The hit against her back took the air out of her and still throbbed with pain. "You really think the cops or heroes are going to let you get away with this?!"

"No one's coming for you, girl. Not like anyone could stop me, anyways." A familiar voice sneered, Ann's eyes snapping open as she looked to her left. Standing there was Kamoshida, though in very strange apparel compared to what she'd ever seen him in, or anyone for that matter.

"Kamoshida?" Ann blinked in question before grinding her teeth and struggling. "What the hell is going on?! Let me down!"

"I can't believe you confused this wench with **my** dear princess." Kamoshida scoffed, crossing his arms over his bare chest. "She's far too noisy. Isn't that right, my dear?"

Ann followed his gaze and stiffened, watching as someone with her exact image walked up next to him, only different in clothes as she wore a skin tight purple leopard print bikini and cat ears. "Wh-what the hell?! Who is that, and why does she look like **me**?!"

"I don't know what you're talking about. A noisy, disobedient brat like you is nothing compared to my sweet Ann-chan." Kamoshida scoffed, raising an arm and wrapping it around the half naked girl.

"I don't care about that! Tell me what's going on! What is this place?!" Ann screamed louder, tears of frustration threatening at the edge of her eyes. "Did you do something to the school?!"

"Quite the chatterbox, aren't you? You should understand better the situation that you're in." Kamoshida chuckled, looking at his guards. One held a sword higher to Ann's body, the twin tailed blond gasping in fear. "There we go. That's a much better look on your face, now."

"Wh-what are you doing? Stop…" Ann muttered, biting her bottom lip in fear. "Wh-why are you doing this? Have you gone insane?"

"This is my world. My castle. I can do as I please here." Kamoshida sneered, grinning darkly up at Ann. "And do whatever I wish to whomever I like."

"Th-this is messed up! Did you bring me to some shady part of town?!" Ann continued to struggle, her confusion only growing by the second. "Hurry up and let me down before I really get pissed off, Kamoshida!"

"You sure do love to mouth off. That's a rather big offense to me in my castle." Kamoshida smirked before turning back to the imagined version of Ann. "What do you think, princess?"

"No one talks like that to the king. That's, like, totally unforgivable." The figment giggled out dumbly, her voice a loose and dumb version of Ann's own speech.

"You're exactly right. Trash that talks like that to me have to be punished." Kamoshida grinned again, turning back to the real Ann and chuckling. "I guess we'll have to execute you, then."

Ann felt her heart sink at that, eyes widening in horror as a golden armored knight approached her. It held the sword up to her neck, Ann reflexively turning her head away from it in fear. "Y-you can't be serious… there's no way… what the hell is wrong with you?!"

"Nothing is wrong with me. You're in **my** castle, after all!" Kamoshida cackled out, holding his chin in mock thought. "Now, what to do with you? Shall I have them cut you up into little pieces? Or maybe just take off your clothes and enjoy myself, first?"

"Th-this is sick… stop it…" Ann visibly trembled, fear starting to overcome her entire body. She wanted to scream for help, to beg him to let her go. All the questions and confusion had mounted in her mind, but right now that was the least of her concerns. With the way that Kamoshida was staring at her, she didn't doubt that he would act on his threats.

"It must be pretty terrifying to feel so helpless, huh?" Kamoshida sneered, taking a step closer examining Ann closely. "I wonder if that girl felt the same way?... what was her name again? Well, the one who tried to kill herself. The one you so **valiantly** tried to help by dating me."

Ann felt her body freeze entirely, looking up at Kamoshida in disbelief. "Shiho?"

"Yes, that's it! That stupid girl." Kamoshida nodded, snapping his fingers. "It's your fault she did that, by the way."

Ann's stomach immediately plummeted. "What..?"

"Had you just slept with me, none of that would have happened, you know." Kamoshida antagonized further, slowly reaching a hand out and taking her chin in his grasp. "But since you decided to say no, I let her act as your replacement. It was pretty nice, too."

Ann felt her entire being shake, her fear swirling with a mountain of other emotions. Among them, anger surfaced. "You **bastard**!"

"Ah ah ah~, don't act too cocky, now." Kamoshida warned her with a smirk, the golden knight suddenly reminding Ann of her place as it held the sword closer to her neck. Ann's body froze again, anger soon replaced by fear once again. "Now that's better. Don't forget what situation you're in right now. Now then, how about we start where I left off with the other girl? After all, I just gave her body a… quick feel. It's a shame she jumped. I was just about ready to take the rest of her body."

"No… Shiho…" Ann muttered, tears starting to spill from her eyes. Her best friend, whom she'd been trying to protect, had ended up being hurt by Kamoshida. All because of her weakness. Because she couldn't handle putting up with Kamoshida anymore. "I'm so sorry… I had no idea he would go so far…" she confessed, body starting to slack, now only being held up by her restraints. "I'm so sorry…"

"There we go. **That's** the look I want to see!" Kamoshida laughed, rubbing his chin in excitement. "Now then, men. Cut off her clothes. It's time that she made it up to her dear friend for her mistake."

"O.M.G! You're such a perv!" The imitation of Ann giggled dumbly, mounting his left shoulder as she watched alongside him.

Ann didn't bother to resist, anymore. In her mind, Ann deserved anything she would get at this point. She had let her friend down. Let Shiho suffer at his hands because of her selfishness. _I should have known better… I should have just… slept with him and kept Shiho safe…_ The tears continued to fall from her eyes, the twin tailed blonde hanging loosely from the restraints in resignation. "Shiho… I'm sorry…"

"Don't listen to him, Ann!"

Hearing her name called out by a familiar voice, Ann snapped her head up, just in time to catch sight of Ryuji now slamming his shoulder into one of the gray armored knights at her left. "S-Sakamoto?" she cried out in shock. The faux blond cringed in pain from the over exertion of his Quirk.

"Dia!" Mona called out, a green aura covering Ryuji to help the stress from his attack.

"You intruder scum!" The other gray knight growled, raising its sword to attack. Much to his and Ann's surprise, Ryuji spun around with a shotgun in hand, blasting a round of cognitive buckshot into its chest to knock it back. The golden knight stepped forward this time, preparing to take a swing at Ryuji as well.

 ***BANG BANG BANG***

Three successive shots rang through the air, bullets whizzing through the air and into the back of the golden armored guard. Ann watched as it fell forward on its face, eyes wide as she quickly looked up to the source. Izuku and Morgana stood their, pistol and slingshot raised and aimed forward. "M-Midoriya-kun?"

"Don't listen to him, Takamaki-sempai…" Izuku said, repeating the words that Ryuji had spoken first. Looking at him now, gone was the meek and gentle expression that she had associated with Izuku, now replaced by a firm, determined face, Izuku's brow furrowed in anger and his teeth gritted together. He quickly shifted his aim to Kamoshida, the king staring at him in bemusement. "Don't listen to **anything** he says about you or Suzui-sempai!"

"Tch. You brats again. You just don't know when to quit." Kamoshida scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest while the cognitive version of Ann clinged to him closely. "Is getting expelled not enough for you two?"

"Can it, asshole! Before we fill you full o' lead!" Ryuji snapped, quickly aiming his gun up at the 'king'.

"Skull, quick! Get Takamaki down from there!" Izuku ordered, the faux blond hesitating for a moment before quickly nodding, the green haired teen keeping an eye on Kamoshida's Shadow. "Takamaki-sempai… don't blame yourself for what he did to Suzui-sempai."

Ann heard his words, but looked at him with reluctance. "But… but it's my fault that-"

"Kamoshida's the monster who did that to her!" Izuku cut her off quickly, his voice doing little to hide his own rage. Despite his anger, Izuku kept from taking any shots at Kamoshida. Both because of the effect it would have on the real Kamoshida and his own moral code. Even now, he doubted he'd be willing to shoot him straight out. But that didn't mean he was any less pissed. "Don't think for a second it's in any way your fault! He's the one that hurt Suzui-sempai! So don't put that weight on your shoulders!"

"Hero…" Morgana muttered in awe, taking his eyes off of Kamoshida for a moment to look at him from the side.

Ann was silent, soaking in his words slowly. She had let Kamoshida convince her that it had been her fault. That it was because of her that Shiho was hurt by the perverted teacher. That Shiho jumped because of her resistance. But should she really be focusing on herself? After all, Kamoshida was the scum who put her best friend through that.

Speaking of the coach, Kamoshida suddenly started to cackle tauntingly. "Don't hold that gun up all high and mighty like you have any power. Just like that girl, the rest of you are nothing but stones for me to step all over. To be played with all for my amusement." he sneered, eyes shifting over to his knights.

"You son of a bitch…" Ryuji growled, still struggling to remove the binds on Ann's hands.

"Guards! Get off your asses and kill the intruders! If you let any of them escape, you'll be the next ones to be executed!" Kamoshida ordered loudly, pointing to the golden armored knight specifically. The three phantom thieves widened their eyes as the Shadows suddenly started to move, pushing off the ground and standing at full length.

"Wh-what the hell?! I thought we finished 'em off!" Ryuji blanched, quickly taking a defensive stance in front of Ann as the guards started to shake in their armor. Without another word, their armor collapsed onto the ground, a black ooze spreading across it and forming. The gray armored Shadows became the familiar Bicorns from before, but the golden armored Shadow became something entirely different. Floating in the middle of a room was a large purple figure, resembling a goblin from fantasy novels and stories. Oddly enough, it was sitting on a toilet without care, apparently something that was part of his being.

"Crap! Skull's surrounded!" Morgana cursed, eyes wide as he looked at Izuku.

"Don't let them attack Skull or Takamaki-sempai!" Izuku cried out, stowing his gun away and rushing forward with the cat, hand raised to his mask as he got ready to call upon his Persona.

"You all will **die** for Kamoshida!" The largest Shadow boomed, turning its attention to Ryuji and Ann, the faux blond making sure to keep Ann directly behind him.

"Damn it-just give me a sec, Takamaki. I've gotta-"

 **(Persona 5 OST: Awakening)**

"He's right." Ryuji hesitated for a moment, glancing back at Ann in question. The twin tailed blonde weakly laughed, shaking her head in shame. "How could I let that asshole toy with me? I'm such an idiot. This is all his fault. Everything Shiho suffered and has been through… this son of a bitch is **all** to blame! And I'm not going to take his shit **anymore**!"

 _ **My, my… it has certainly been far too long.**_

Ann suddenly felt a splitting headache crack at her skull, the blonde gasping in shock. The binds kept her from gripping at her head, only making the pain feel more severe.

 _ **Tell me… Who is going to avenge her if you don't?**_

The more the voice spoke, the more severe the pain became, Ann's entire body writhing to break free from her restraints.

 _ **Forgiving him was never an option...**_

"T-Takamaki! Are you alright?!" Ryuji asked in fear, her sudden convulsions surprising him but seeming very familiar.

 _ **Such is the scream of the other you that dwells within…**_

"Takamaki-sempai, she's… she has one as well…" Izuku muttered in realization, eyes widening as he watched Ann continue to struggle.

 _ **I am thou, thou art I…**_

Ann let out a scream of sheer agony, her entire body tensing up before falling limp against the binds.

 _ **We can finally forge a contract…**_

"I hear you… Carmen." Ann suddenly muttered. Blue flame swirled above her head before gathering around her brow. Ann snapped her head up, a candy red mask now on her face. It was outlined with two sharp cat ears at each edge of the top as well as a small pointed nose at the front. "I am done holding myself back… I'll unleash everything I have!"

 _ **There you go. Nothing can be solved by restraining yourself. Understand?**_

Ann, in a surprising burst of strength, ripped her wrists from the cuffs, pulling them out of the post one by one before reaching up to the mask on her face. She felt the small resistance as it stuck to her skin, but didn't hesitate to rip it off with a quick jerk. Blood seeped down her brow as she let out a cry of pain. Blue flame suddenly erupted around her.

 _ **Then I'll gladly lend you my strength.**_

At the center of the flames, Ann revealed herself with a figure towering over her. Ann's outfit had completely transformed, shifting to a skin tight red leather bodysuit. Her chest was exposed at the top, pink gloves on her hands and high heels on her feet. Zippers ran up and down her outfit, and a long leather cat tail bounced from the top of her butt. Standing tall behind her was Ann's Persona. It was female in figure, wearing a long wavy black and red dress that was revealing at the chest, her breasts large. She had twin drills in her hair and wore a similar cat mask to Ann, though it was black with pink highlights. In her hand was a thin wire, a black suited man with a heart head waving at one end, the other end connected to a similar shaped figure that Carmen stepped on like a dominatrix.

Ann glared up at the Shadows, Ryuji having taken a step back from the twin tailed blonde in awe. Before anyone could make a move, Ann quickly turned a glare toward Kamoshida and the copy of her. Raising a hand, she pointed at the cognitive manifestation. "Burn it to ash, Carmen!"

Raising its free hand, Carmen let a ball of fire form in its palm before lashing it forward. Kamoshida quickly jumped away from the fake Ann, watching as it went up in flames before his eyes. Izuku and Morgana watched in bewilderment, shifting their gaze back to Ann as she strode forward.

"I'm done letting you toy with me." Ann growled, eyes glaring directly at Kamoshida before shifting to the Shadows guarding him. "You've hurt Shiho in ways beyond belief. You've taken everything from her. So now, I'm going to burn down everything that **you** hold value in, Kamoshida!"

"You… insolent brat…" The largest Shadow growled, baring its teeth in anger. "How dare you threaten his majesty!"

"I'm not making idle threats here. This is a promise I plan to keep!" Ann snapped back, crouching forward as if preparing to lunge at her enemies. "Now let's go, Carmen!"

 **To be continued…**

 **Let me start this A/N off by saying I'm not exactly that proud of this chapter. Why? Probably because I didn't like how much of it I had to strip from the source material. I tried to make it seem somewhat less like the in-game content with somewhat shifted dialogue and small changes in events, but… eh. I'll let you all be the judge on the quality of the chapter.**

 **Sorry to have to cut off before the fight begins, but I wanted focus to remain on Ann's internal struggle at the end. Going into the fight and the aftermath might steal away from the scene, similar to what I did with Ryuji in a few chapters back. Only this time, next chapter, the battle will play out rather than the quick end that came to their enemies in Ryuji's awakening. It's time for Izuku to show his quick thinking skills.**

 **Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, please leave a review, a follow and a favorite to show your support of the story! :)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I own neither Persona 5 or My Hero Academia**

Chapter 11

Izuku stared in awe as Ann unleashed torrents of flame from her Persona. Questions began to fill his mind. Had Ann always had the potential to summon one? Did coming to this world grant anyone with the capability to summon a Persona? The conditions were still fuzzy for Izuku, but his thoughts returned to Morgana's words: someone with a strong will of rebellion could possess a Persona. Perhaps They could figure out the exact meaning of this in the future.

Though now was hardly the time.

"Hero, let's back her up!" Morgana called out, bringing Izuku back to earth.

"R-right!" Izuku nodded, eyes focusing on the biggest enemy. "Skull! Take out the smaller Shadows! Mona, let's focus on the big one with Takamaki-sempai!"

"Got it!" Ryuji and Morgana said, the three rushing forward to take on their targets. The Shadows that aided the toilet seated goblin were nothing more than Bicorns, something that wasn't a real threat for any of the Persona users at this point. Ryuji reached for his mask and cast it aside, Captain Kidd hovering above him.

"Let's tear 'em apart!" Ryuji exclaimed, his Persona raising the cannon of an arm and unleashing a blast of electricity. The Bicorn's kicked off the ground and dodged, hoping to take Ryuji off guard as they charged at him. "Hah, don't think it'll be that easy!" Ryuji smirked, grabbing the pipe from his back. As one of the Bicorn approached, the faux blond raised his weapon like a batter getting ready to knock a baseball out of the park.

"Come on, asshole, just a little more…" Ryuji muttered, eyes darting between both of his enemies to see who would be on him first. When Ryuji had a clear shot, he grinned before swinging with all of his might, knocking the Bicorn square in the temple. It cried out in pain as its head swung to it's right, the Bicorn's horn now stabbing into the other Shadow. "Hell yeah! That's what I'm talkin' about! Now Captain Kidd, blast 'em!" Ryuji roared. With it's targets confused and injured, the Persona's targets had no room to escape as a volley of lightning shot from its cannon, their weakness exploited and immediately destroying the shadows.

Meanwhile, Izuku and Morgana rushed up with their masks pulled, both immediately hoping to take the large Shadow off guard with their own attacks.

"Go, Carter!"

"Slice him up, Zorro!"

Zorro unleashed a torrent of wind while Carter threw a ball of light at the goblin. The Shadow bucked forward somewhat from the attacks, but slowly craned its gaze back toward the two, causing Hero and Mona to widen their eyes in surprise. With a roar, it spun around in the air and swung a large arm at them, Morgana and Izuku barely able to pull up their arms to guard the attack. The two were sent sprawling back on the ground, Izuku cringing in pain as he tried to sit up.

"I-I don't understand… our attacks barely did anything. Are we that weak by comparison?" Izuku asked, grabbing his staff and using it to help himself to his feet.

"Not quite… it seems that our enemy is resistant to both of our attacks." Morgana declared, groaning as he pushed up to his feet. "While our enemies have weaknesses, they also have resistances. This one's definitely going to be trouble if we can't land any decent hits."

"All who oppose Kamoshida will be crushed!" The Shadow roared, turning its full attention to the two.

"Hey! I'm not done with you, asshole!" Ann growled, Carmen hovering behind her and forming flames in its grasp. "I'm not going to let anyone who'd cover for that prick get away, either!" With a cry of rage, Ann's Persona sent a volley of flames at the back of the Shadow, this time the attack doing a wealth of damage. It cried out in pain from the blast, eyes rolling back as the goblin tried to reach toward the burn.

"I-it got through! Her attack was effective!" Izuku pointed out, eyes widening in shock.

"It looks like fire attacks are most effective against this Shadow. But now's a good opportunity! Let's give it hell!" Morgana exclaimed, pulling the scimitar blade from his waist. Following suit, Izuku pulled the staff up, the two rushing forward with their weapons raised before slamming them into the shadow as hard as they could. Ann followed their example, a whip now appearing in her hand that she lashed out with. The Shadow cried out in agony, flailing it's arms wildly in hopes of knocking the three off of him. Izuku, Morgana and Ann gained some more distance, the ogre growling in anger.

"You filthy peasants! You will not shame this castle with your presence any-" A bolt of electricity slammed into its side, the Shadow growling in annoyance before shaking it off without much problem, eyes turning to Ryuji.

"Like we give a shit about what you think, asshole!" The faux blond snapped, pulling out his model shotgun and taking aim. "Hey, Takamaki! Help me waste him!"

"You don't have to tell me twice!" Ann proclaimed, Carmen now hovering above her again. "Carmen, burn him to cinders!"

"You think I'd let you do that again!" The Shadow roared, raising an arm to strike out at Ann with.

 ***BOOM***

Its hand was suddenly pelted with buckshot, Ryuji being the first to cover Ann for her attack. "You meddlesome-" Before it could even react, Morgana and Izuku followed suit, both firing off several rounds into its back, causing it to tense from the pain. Ann didn't waste her chance, willing her Persona forward and commanding it to set him ablaze.

"Turn him to ash! Agi!" Carmen let flames swirl in her palms, rearing back before blasting a wave into the Shadow. It cried out in miserable agony, the damage enough to knock it off it's porcelain throne and fall face flat on the ground, the miserable monster turning into black ooze. A golden set of armor became visible from the center, but was completely empty of its owner. Ann huffed heavily for breath, sweat trailing down her brow as her eyes shifted around the room. They landed on Shadow Kamoshida, the king scrambling away from them and toward the front door. "Where do you think **you're** going?!" Ann growled, taking a step forward. Like a brick wall though, exhaustion suddenly hit her, the twin tailed blonde hunching over and leaning on her knees.

"Y-you rats… you won't get away with this!" Kamoshida cried out defiantly, though fear was apparent in his voice and expression. "Just wait until the rest of my guards get here! Then you're all **dead**!" He barked before quickly swinging the door open and rushing out.

"Get back here!" Ann cried out, wanting to pursue him further. A hand wrapped around her arm, Ann immediately snapping her head around anxiously before realizing it was Ryuji.

"Hey, calm down! You're in no shape to chase that asshole." Ryuji pointed out, supporting her weight. "But seriously, why the hell did you come back? We pushed you out so that you wouldn't be in danger!"

"Hey, do you talk to all women like that?!" Morgana said, shooting an accusatory glance at Ryuji before shifting his attention back to Ann, eyes filled with worry. "Are you alright, Lady Ann?"

"Lady Ann..?" The twin tailed blonde repeated in question, shifting her gaze up to Morgana.

"He's right, Takamaki-sempai. We didn't want you to get involved like this…" Izuku said this time, going to Ann's other side to help her up.

Ann looked between Ryuji and Izuku beforer her eyes trailed down to her outfit. Her cheeks immediately turned red with embarrassment, wrestling her arms away from the two and feebly attempting to cover herself from view. "Wh-what the hell am I **wearing**?! Wh-wh-what the hell is going on?!"

Izuku and Ryuji recoiled in surprise, the faux blond scratching his head sheepishly. "Crap. Looks like she's snapped back to reality."

"L-Lady Ann, please calm down. I know this is really difficult to take in, but-" Morgana started, hoping to ease her mind but failing as Ann used him to push herself up to stand.

"You guys really need to start explaining! What is this place?!" Ann demanded, eyes darting back to Izuku and Ryuji. The faux blond gulped in fear while Izuku couldn't help but take another step back, intimidated by the twin tailed blonde.

"W-w-well, you see…" Izuku tried to start, his words shaky as he spoke. Shaking his head, Izuku remembered the words of Kamoshida's Shadow, brow furrowing seriously. "W-we don't have time to go over that, now. We have to get going before more Shadows show up!"

"He's right. Please lean on me if you need to, Lady Ann." Morgana offered, Ryuji rolling his eyes at the cat's attempt at being suave.

"I mean, I wouldn't mind the help but uh… you're a little too short to lean on." Ann pointed out honestly, Morgana's ears drooping dejectedly in response.

"B-but I-"

"Alright, just put a sock in it. I'll help her out." Ryuji huffed irritably, offering a hand to Ann for her to take. "We don't got time to waste. We need to get goin'."

"I-I think I'm okay, for now. I'm tired but not enough to not move on my own." Ann shook her head, standing up straight to walk on her own.

"Skull, stay by her side in case Takamaki-sempai gets too tired." Izuku suggested, the faux blond nodding in agreement. "We can try for the treasure again, later. Right now we need to get Takamaki-sempai out of here."

"Treasure? What are you talking about?" Ann blinked in confusion, a small huff escaping Ryuji.

"There really ain't much time to talk about it right now. Wait 'til we get outta here." Ryuji said, the twin tailed blonde biting her lip in reluctance. Taking into consideration the danger and her current exhaustion, Ann sighed and decided not to argue, nodding in acceptance.

"Okay. Let's go." The others nodded, Izuku deciding to take the lead and sprinting ahead. He slowly pushed the door open, making sure the hallway leading to their current room was clear. Seeing that it was currently unoccupied, Izuku pushed it open, waving for his friends to quickly follow. The four started to dash as fast as they could, Ryuji keeping pace with Ann in case it was too much.

"King Kamoshida said they were this way!" Izuku widened his eyes as he skidded to a halt, holding his arms out to stop the others from running forward.

"D-damn it, they're cutting us off from the exit!" Izuku muttered, eyes darting aroun for options. Seeing a door to their left, Izuku didn't waste time, quickly swinging it open. Peeking inside, he saw no Shadows within the room. "This way, hurry!" Izuku ordered in a more hushed voice, though with an equal amount of urgency. The three didn't question him, quickly following his instructions and going in the room. Izuku quickly shut the door, looking around the room for their options.

"This isn't a safe room, Hero. They can come in here whenever they want." Morgana reminded him, Izuku gulped, nodding in understanding.

"I-it's likely that expecting them to walk by without checking here would be a fool's hope… we need to get ready to fight…" Izuku muttered, tilting his head down and holding his chin in thought.

"We can take a few Shadows, no sweat. Let 'em try." Ryuji shrugged, smashing his fist into his other hand confidently.

"We don't want to have to fight every single Shadow. Takamaki-sempai is tired and we want to have enough energy for getting to the exit." Izuku suggested, sweat beginning to trail down his brow. "We might not have a choice right now, but I'd like for us to use the least amount of our stamina as possible… but how..? Think…" He began to mumble, eyes darting around the room. It looked a bit different than the rest of the rooms they had gone through so far. The walls weren't painted or papered over, dark maroon brick exposed. Standing against the brick were tall wooden shelves with keg barrels, each likely holding a large amount of alcohol dreamed up by he cognition.

"We could try to hold our ground like Ryuji-sempai suggested. In this small room, their numbers would be pretty limited. But still, if we get more like the golden armored captain, that might take a lot of stamina out of us. Even so, conflict is unavoidable at this point. Think, Izuku, think..."Izuku mumbled aloud as he ground his teeth in frustration, looking back up to consider his eyes landed back at the shelves, a light bulb suddenly turned on in his head and a small smile spreading across his lips. "I-I think I've got something." He looked up at his three companions, blinking as he realized they were now staring. "W-was I-"

"Yep." Ryuji and Morgana immediately answered, the green haired teen flustering up immediately.

"Do… you do that a lot?" Ann couldn't help but ask.

"He does." Morgana said, Izuku's shoulders slumping at being thrown under the bus."But forget that for a second. What did you have in mind, Hero?"

The guards busted through the door, four gray armored knights marching inside with a golden knight at the back. Despite no immediate view of their targets, the room was large enough that the guards didn't immediately dismiss it, the guards spreading out. "Make sure to check every barrel and wardrobe! Those rats could be slinking around anywhere!" The major Shadow commanded, the others obeying without hesitation. Stalking over to wooden shelves, the gray armored guards lifted their swords, preparing to cut through the kegs.

"Now!"

Before the Shadows could stop it, the shelves were suddenly shoved forward, barrels of alcohol busting open as they fell like a wave on top of the guards. On the other side, Ryuji and Morgana stood their, their Personas floating behind them, wicked grins on their faces. "You vermin! I'll-" The golden guard growled, taking a step forward before the shelf to his left fell on top of him, Ann and Midoriya standing just behind it.

"It worked!" Ann cheered, grinning ear to ear at their success.

"Hurry, Takamaki-sempai! Set them on fire!" Izuku reminded the twin tailed blonde, Ann pausing in her celebration before quickly nodding.

"R-right! Carmen, come forth!" Ann exclaimed, pulling her mask from her face and summoning her Persona. "Agi!" With swirling flames in hand, Carmen lashed out her attack. Fire erupted from the pile of wood and metal, the guards now crying out in pain. Black ooze erupted from their masks and rose up, but the flames persisted in spite of this. "Wha-what's going on?!"

"I wasn't sure if it would work here because it's only a cognition, but it looks like it worked out…" Izuku breathed in relief, wiping his forehead of sweat and taking a step back from the flames, "the alcoholic content of the liquor was really high, after all. With enough alcohol, the flames will keep burning even after they emerge."

"Y-you bastar-ds!" A shadow cried out from the burning pile, weakly attempting to push the wood off of its under and the fire too intense to fight against, the Shadows weren't given the chance to fight back as they were soon reduced to ooze, dissipating into thin air. The four quickly regrouped at the door, eyes lingering on the burning pile with looks of satisfaction.

"Not bad there, Hero. That was some nice thinkin'." Ryuji chuckled, slapping Izuku's back in praise.

"I honestly hadn't thought of such a roundabout way of tackling our enemies. You just keep on surprising us, huh?" Morgana said, offering an impressed smile as he crossed his paws.

"We barely had to do anything. Good job." Ann said, grinning down at the younger teen in approval. "I still barely understand what's going on, but it worked."

"I-i-it was nothing, really… any of you would have thought of it…" Izuku bashfully muttered, face reddening from their praise. Shaking his head, he cleared his throat and tried to return to prior urgency. "A-anyway, we should get going before more show up." Receiving nods of approval from the three, Izuku led the way again toward their escape route.

* * *

Izuku stood mutely by Ann as they waited for Ryuji to return from grabbing drinks. After making their escape from the castle, the four headed to the train station before taking a break. With time now to spare, Izuku and the others finally opened up to Ann about everything regarding Kamoshida and the other world. Ann absorbed the information silently, her sense of logic likely at war with the experience and evidence that she now had in the cognitive world. Izuku wasn't sure what to say at this point, knowing that it was likely pointless to keep persisting. It would be better to let Ann accept it for herself. Still, Izuku had a bit of concern.

"I-it's a lot to take in, huh?" Izuku asked, trying to at least give her mind some ease with the distraction of a conversation. Ann had been focused on the ground deep in thought when he spoke, almost jumping at the sound of his voice.

"Yeah… just a bit." Ann admitted with a sheepish giggle, scratching the back of her head. "I feel like I know less than before I went to that world, now."

"It's okay to take it slow. No one is demanding that you just accept everything right away. It wouldn't be fair to put such expectations on you." Morgana said, his voice gentle and kind as he spoke. Izuku couldn't help but deadpan in silence, remembering that Morgana had acted like he and Ryuji were morons for not being able to understand everything right from the get-go.

"Um… thanks…" Ann muttered, watching Morgana with eyes of curiousity. "I'm sorry, but it's hard to get over that I'm actually talking to a cat… I've seen a couple people with animal parts, but this is pretty different…"

"Yeah, it's pretty strange huh?" Ryuji said, joining the three again with a bottle of soda in each hand. "But once you get used to it, it's gettin' him to shut up that's the trick."

"Hey!" Morgana hissed in irritation, glaring at Ryuji as he climbed higher on Izuku's shoulder.

"Oh, can it. Which one you want?" Ryuji asked, turning to Ann with the drinks.

"Whichever isn't carbonated." Ann answers. Ryuji bites his bottom lip, glancing at both drinks.

"Er, both are. Sorry."

Ann sighed, glancing down at her options before taking the one in his left hand. "Thanks."

"No problem. Here's yours." Ryuji handed the other to Izuku, the green haired teen taking it with a nod.

"Hey, where's mine?" Morgana whined, glancing at the drinks enviously.

"Sorry, they didn't have milk. I figured you wouldn't want soda since you're a cat." Ryuji shrugged carelessly, the feline narrowing his eyes in resentment. Ann let out a small giggle, finding the exchange a bit amusing.

"Have you calmed down now, Lady Ann?" Morgana asked sweetly, the twin tailed blonde nodding in response.

"Yeah, I'm okay now. I mean, I'm still trying to wrap my head around it, but I'm at least able to accept everything." Ann explained, turning to Izuku and Morgana. "So… you're not actually a cat, right?"

"Well, he says that he's human, but I doubt it." Ryuji snorted, earning a small glare from Morgana.

"Why you-"

"C-come on, guys. Don't start another fight." Izuku said, raising his arms and offering a weak smile. The two opened their mouths to continue, but bit their tongues and relented. Turning back to Ann, Izuku's smile fell into a serious frown. "Back to everything we discussed, it looks like you possess a Persona like the rest of us now."

"My Persona… Carmen…" Ann muttered, looking down as she recalled her fury and power from before. "I was able to fight back against Kamoshida thanks to that."

"It's the will of your rebellion, Lady Ann. A power you can possess in the cognitive world to help you fight." Morgana explained for her, leaning forward on Izuku's shoulder.

"So then… your plan was to change Kamoshida's heart? Which would end up making him confess to all of his crimes?" Ann asked, trying to sort through the mountain of information she was now privy to.

"That's right. No one else is willin' to stand up to Kamoshida about what he's done." Ryuji said, brow furrowing in frustration. "The parents are turnin' a blind eye and that fatass principal isn't willing to stop the school's main source of popularity."

"Ryuji-sempai and I aren't able to do anything directly, either." Izuku explained, shame coloring his face as he spoke. "Everyone just looks at us like we're delinquents and won't listen… This was our only choice left to stop him. Especially after…" Izuku bit his bottom lip, fighting against the emotions he had been wrestling with ever since the incident. Clutching his fist, Izuku shook his head and looked back up at Ann. "We will put a stop to him."

Ann saw the raw emotion in his features and heard the conviction in his voice. Narrowing her eyes, Ann nodded in acceptance. "Okay, then. Let me help, too." Izuku and Ryuji both widened their eyes, taken off guard by her sudden plea, though not entirely surprised. "I want to make that bastard pay for what he did to Shiho. He's taken everything away from her. I will **never** forgive him for it."

"Wait wait wait, time out!" Ryuji said, holding a hand up to halt Ann. "Look, I know you wanna take Kamoshida down as badly as we do, but we were keepin' you out so you wouldn't be in danger."

"We were, but… that was because she didn't have a Persona." Izuku suddenly remarked, Ryuji blinking in shock as he turned to the timid teen. "I normally would be against this, but… the more help we can get, the better. Right now, while I might be able to have more than one Persona, I can't cover every weakness or resistance that our enemies might have as we push further in. Takamaki-sempai gives us more range of powers to work with. Plus, Takamaki-sempai has as much reason to fight as any of us. Even if we tried to keep her out, I doubt she'd let it stop her anyway."

Ryuji took a moment to realize what he meant, slapping a hand against his face. "Oh, right. She's got the app too, now." Ryuji sighed, looking back up at Ann. "I'm guessin' you'd try to go by yourself if we said no. It'd be safer to have you part of the team rather than lone wolfing it."

"I agree. With Lady Ann, we'd have just enough manpower to tackle this castle now." Morgana said, giving a small grin on his feline face.

Ryuji looked between Izuku and Morgana before looking at Ann, the three waiting for his official agreement. With a heavy sigh and a head scratch, he nodded. "Fine. Guess there's no helpin' it now."

"Then it's decided! I hope we can get along from now on." Ann giggled, giving a more upbeat smile to the three. Looking away from them, her smile fell and determination covered her expression. "I'm going to make him pay for it all. For everyone he's hurt, especially Shiho. No one else is going to suffer because of that bastard."

Despite Izuku's previous hesitation, the confidence and conviction radiating from Ann put him at ease. He wanted to keep her out of this for her safety. But seeing her strength now, Izuku had no doubt that Ann would be able to lend them a great hand in the troubles to come. When time seemed to slow, Izuku wasn't at all surprised by the following words whispering in his ear.

 **I am thou, thou art I**

 **Thou hast acquired a new vow.**

 **It shall become the wings of rebellion**

 **That breaketh thy chains of captivity.**

 **With the birth of the Lovers Persona,**

 **I have obtained the winds of Blessing**

 **that shall lead to freedom and new power…**

Izuku still wasn't completely clear on the conditions that were in place when creating these arcanas with others, but smiled at the twin tailed blonde regardless as time returned to normal. "We'll be counting on you, Takamaki-sempai." He declared, giving his own determined nod.

"Glad to hear. Just let me know whenever you guys are ready to go." Ann smiled before realization hit her. "Oh, we don't have each other's info! Give me your guys number and email so that we can get in contact real quick." She said, pulling out her phone.

"Sure, sounds good." Ryuji shrugged, pulling his phone out casually and getting ready to take her number down.

"Of course!" Izuku nodded, pulling his own phone out. It took a moment for him to process, but suddenly his entire body froze. All save for his hands, which now trembled heavily with his phone at the center. His face suddenly lit up like a Christmas tree, eyes wide as plates as he stared at the phone in his palm.

"Uh… Izuku?" Morgana said, poking the obviously extremely skittish teen in the cheek, though he didn't seem to notice.

"Uh… is he okay?" Ann asked, blinking obliviously as she watched Izuku's hand shake almost uncontrollably.

 _Y-you're just giving a girl your number and getting hers for a case! Th-th-think of it like g-getting Koto-san's number. It's not a big deal! It's_ _ **not**_ _a big deal!_ Izuku repeated to himself, miserably attempting to calm himself down. Due to this high level of concentration, he remained completely ignorant of the world around him.

"Oh, he gets pretty nervous around others. Though I think it gets worse around girls…" Ryuji hummed, realizing that Izuku was still lost in his own world at the moment before turning to Ann. "Don't mind him. I'll give you his number and other stuff so that he doesn't overload."

"Poor guy. It really does make me wonder how a guy like him got slapped with an assault charge, though." Ann said, offering a small smile of sympathy.

"He held up pretty well until now. Guess the whole number exchange is gettin' to him." Ryuji chuckled. "He must be pretty close with Nijima-sempai since he doesn't seem to mind her."

"Nijima? Like Makoto Nijima, the student council president?" Ann repeated, blinking in question. "He's close with her?"

"I guess so. Apparently they knew each other from way back." Ryuji elaborated, though a slightly scornful look crossed her expression.

"Are you sure we can trust her? I heard she's a huge suck up to teachers." Ann asked, her voice hiding little venom. This seemed to bring Izuku back to reality, the timid teen's eyes slightly widening as he looked up at Ann. "Rumor has it that she's well aware of the abuse, too."

"Th-that's not true!" Izuku suddenly spoke, the volume of his voice a little louder than he intended. Ann was caught off guard, not expecting him to answer with such energy. Readjusting himself, Izuku made sure to lower his voice. "Sorry, it's just… Koto-san wasn't aware of any of it. When I told her what was going on, Koto-san did what she could to help us."

"It's true. Izuku brought her in on it since we thought we could use the help. Nijima-sempai isn't half bad." Ryuji added, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Considering both Izuku's trust in her and the information she provided to us about the principal, we did consider for a moment asking her to join us in our assault on the castle." Morgana said, glancing to the side at Izuku. "Of course Izuku here didn't want to put her in danger like that and said no."

Ann felt a bit of guilt fill her, scratching her head sheepishly. "Oh… I see. Sorry for jumping to conclusions, then. It's hard to know who to trust at that school, anymore…"

"It's fine. It's been tough on everyone." Izuku nodded, guilt coloring his own face as he thought back to when he left her behind to spill his anger out to Kamoshida. "I… I should see if she's okay, though. I got so caught up in everything, that I forgot how we left her earlier…"

"Oh, crap. You're right." Ryuji sighed, kicking at the ground with a bit of his own guilt. "Guess we did get too heated and left her behind…"

"You both should definitely apologize to her for that. Especially you, Izuku." Morgana scolded them, his pointed words causing the green haired teen to wince.

"What do you mean? What happened?" Ann asked curiously, seeing their bit of discomfort.

"It's… kinda hard to explain. We'll tell you another time. Already got enough to worry about as is." Ryuji suggested, running a hand through his faux blond hair.

"Well, if you say so. Anyways, I'm going to be heading off. From now on, I'll be counting on you all, okay? That includes you, Morgana." Ann smiled at the three kindly.

"The pleasure is all mine, Lady Ann." Morgana purred out, earning a small giggle from Ann before she took her leave. Watching her go, the feline let out a content sigh, leaning forward on Izuku's shoulder and resting his head on his forelegs. "What an amazing girl… so kind and gentle… yet fierce when it calls for it. She's like a wild fire that you can't help but watch despite the danger… because it's just so beautiful."

"... um…" Izuku mumbled, a bit of sweat trailing down his brow.

"Dude." Ryuji said, cringing at Morgana's little speech. "You know that you've basically got no chance, right? Being a cat and all?"

"Th-that's only right now!" Morgana retorted, snapping his head toward Ryuji. "Once I get a human body, I'll be able to woo Lady Ann right off her feet!"

"If you say so." Ryuji muttered, rolling his eyes before looking at Izuku. "Hey, I've been thinking that maybe we should have a place to always meet up at quickly from now on."

"Good point. It would be smart to establish a secret hideout so that we can discuss our plans without having to worry about being eavesdropped on." Morgana agreed, Izuku humming for a moment before nodding in agreement.

"Yeah, that would be best. Even though most would dismiss what we're talking about, we don't want to get the wrong person's attention. Especially Kamoshida himself." Izuku said, earning nods of agreement from Ryuji and Morgana.

"Havin' a secret hideout makes us sound way more official, too." Ryuji chuckled, folding his hands behind his head. "So, where should we station at? The rooftop? It would definitely have the most privacy and would be a fast place to meet up."

"It would definitely make for the perfect hideout. It doesn't seem like anyone goes up there. What do you think, Izuku?" Morgana asked, expectant eyes landing on the green haired teen. Regret immediately filled them both, realizing what they just suggested when they saw his expression. Izuku was biting his bottom lip, tears threatening at the edge of his eyes again. "I-I'm sorry, Izuku. I hadn't thought about that place's significance."

"Y-yeah, dude. We can find another place to use for a hideout. No big deal." Ryuji suggested this time, guilt audible in his voice.

Izuku snapped his eyes shut and shook his head furiously. He took a moment to breath in and out, his body loosening up as he looked at the two with determination. "No. The rooftop would make for a good hideout. We should use it for meeting up."

"Are… you sure?" Morgana asked, eyes still filled with concern.

"Yes, I am. Besides, it'll serve as a reminder of what we're fighting for every time we go up there." Izuku declared, his green orbs shining with conviction. Ryuji grinned, reaching a hand out and slapping him on the shoulder.

"Hell yeah. That's the spirit. We've got this." Ryuji said, reaching a fist up to Izuku. The green haired teen blinked for a moment before smiling back, meeting it for a fist bump.

"Well, with that settled, I do have one more matter to bring up." Morgana declared, bringing both of their attention to him now. "I've decided that I will be remaining in the real world so that I can meet up with everyone just as quick. The only problem that leaves is figuring out which of you will be taking care of me." Turning a feline grin toward Izuku, the green haired teen suddenly felt pressure from his stare. "I'm personally nominating you as my caretaker. You should feel honored."

"W-w-wait, what?! B-but I-"

"That's all you, dude. My mom's allergic to cats, so…" Ryuji whistled out carelessly. An announcement over the intercom signaled for Ryuji's train, the faux blond seeing it as his escape. "Alright, then. Have fun with your new pet slash roomie!" He grinned before taking off in a sprint.

"W-wait, Ryuji-sempai!" Izuku called out, reaching desperately toward the receding back of his best friend. Watching him disappear, Izuku could only stand there lifeless as his new job started to settle in. It wasn't that he didn't like Morgana, but having him suddenly move in was a big jump from what they were previously discussing.

"It's for the best. Ryuji and I would probably argue way too much, anyway." Morgana waved a paw carelessly, turning expectant cat eyes toward Izuku. "Now then, please show me to my new home! I am quite curious to what my residence will now be in this world."

Izuku strangled out a few sounds, trying to find any reason to discourage this line of thinking by the cat. When none came, Izuku slumped forward in defeat and struggled out his answer: "... okay…"

* * *

Izuku took a deep breath as he stood outside of Leblanc. He still wasn't exactly sure about letting Morgana stay with him. Mostly because he had no idea how Sakura would react to this. He did, in fact, live in a cafe, after all. He wasn't even sure if animals would be allowed inside of Leblanc in the first place. Of course, Izuku wasn't the best at expressing this to Morgana. The cat merely dismissed his worries and reminded Izuku that he had nowhere else to stay. It was clear to Izuku at this point that he wasn't going to be talking his way out of this one.

"Huh. I wasn't expecting you to live in a cafe. Is this normal for people to do?" Morgana hummed thoughtfully, sticking out on Izuku's shoulder as he looked up at Leblanc.

"N-no, honestly. I'm still surprised by the arrangement too, but… it's what Sakura-san wanted." Izuku shrugged, by this time at least settled into the idea of where he now lodged in. "B-but you have to stay in the bag, Morgana-san! If Sakura-san sees you, I doubt he'll let me keep you. This is a cafe, after all..."

"Fine, fine. I'm getting back in…" Morgana huffed, stuffing himself back into Izuku's school bag.

The green haired teen let out a sigh, gulping as he refocused forward. _Okay, act casual. Sakura-san won't notice anything so long as Morgana keeps quiet and I keep my cool…_ He told himself, wiping the nervous sweat from his brow. Reaching toward the door, Izuku hesitated when it started to push open, looking back up to see a woman coming out. She had dark blue short cut hair and pale skin. Around her neck was a black spiked choker. She wore a waist high black leather jacket with an aqua top with web pattern on the front, followed by black jeans and tall black heels.

Izuku realized he was in her way and quickly sidestepped, holding the door open for her. "A-ah, sorry ma'am!" He quickly said, a bit of nervousness in his voice. Older women seldom made him nervous like girls around his age, but he was still worried about being rude. The gothic woman raised a brow curiously.

"Sorry for what?" She asked, her voice flat in her question.

"W-well, for getting in your way. I didn't mean to." Izuku explained, looking down and rubbing his head sheepishly.

"You weren't, really. Don't worry about it." She shrugged carelessly, slinging a handbag over her shoulder. "So don't act so nervous. You'll never get a girlfriend if you always stammer like that."

Izuku felt like the woman had punched him directly in the gut, slouching over further and nodding solemnly. "Y-yeah…"

The woman giggled lightly, starting to walk past him. "No need to feel so depressed. Just keep being polite and try not to be nervous. Later." She said, waving over her shoulder as she headed down the path to the rest of Yongen. Izuku looked up and watched as she left, breathing out as he felt the usual nervous tension leave his body.

"What a strange woman…" He muttered, taking a moment before walking into Leblanc. Inside the only person was Sojiro, the old shopkeeper sparing an amused glance Izuku's way.

"I see the good doctor gave you a bit of a runaround, huh?" Sojiro chuckled, Izuku tensing as he realized that the shopkeeper had a full view of the awkward conversation.

"Y-yeah… she was…" Izuku paused, realizing what Sojiro said. "W-wait, doctor?"

"Yep. She runs a clinic just down the street, in fact." Sojiro nodded, leaning back against the bar. "I haven't been there myself, but I've heard she gives crappy examinations and sells weird medicine. Of course that's just gossip. People should just leave her alone if she's not bothering them…" Sojiro sighed, rolling his neck tiredly. "Alright, I'm heading home. Make sure to turn off the lights."

"Yes, sir." Izuku nodded, turning around and heading for the stairs.

" _Hey, are we there yet?_ "

Izuku jumped when he heard Morgana's voice, sweat running down his cheeks as he turned his head slightly to look at Sojiro. The shopkeeper seemed to hear him too, though he doubted that Sojiro heard anything more than a meow. Not that it would make it any better in this situation.

"What was that just now..?" Sojiro muttered, looking around in thought before his eyes landed on Izuku.

"Wh-what was what?" Izuku asked, trying to play as dumb as possible. Sojiro narrowed his eyes at Izuku, the green haired teen trying his best not to flinch or crumble under his gaze. Sojiro watched him for a moment longer before finally huffing out.

"Well, whatever. I'm going now." His temporary guardian said, Izuku feeling some relief that he wasn't questioned any further.

"H-have a good night, Sakura-san!" Izuku said as he tried to casually walk up the stairs. Tried being the operative word as his body moved stiffly up each step. As he reached the top stair, Izuku spared a glance behind him to make sure that Sojiro hadn't followed him up, breathing in relief when he didn't see the shopkeeper in sight. Making his way over to his bed, Izuku placed the bag gently down, unzipping the top and letting Morgana jump out.

"Freedom, finally~!" Morgana cooed in relief, stretching his body out now that he had room to move. Looking around, the cat blinked in shock. "Wow… I knew you were a fan of heroes, but I didn't realize it was this big…"

"Huh?" Izuku looked around, his cheeks reddening in embarrassment as he realized what he meant. Izuku had put up the entirety of his All Might memorabilia, posters and banners littering the wall by the couch. On the dusty shelf on the other side of his room, a model figure sat.

"Crap, I totally forgot I put everything up…" Izuku muttered, covering his face in mortification.

"So, All Might, huh? I knew that the name was popular among cognition. I've heard it echo in a lot of hearts in Mementos." Morgana hummed, looking at the wall with some interest. "It might be interesting to learn all that I can about someone so popular. Especially if he's got you as such a stellar fan."

"R-really? You want to learn about All Might?" Izuku asked, blinking in surprise. His surprise shifted to excitement, the embarrassment leaving him in an instant. "There's so much I can tell you about All Might! Like his greatest battles, his TV appearances and-" Izuku began to ramble like a giddy child in Morgana's face. He suddenly paused, Morgana's initial words ringing in his ear. "W-wait, what's Mementos?"

"Oh, that? Well… we'll save that explanation for another time. We have to remain focused on the palace, after all." Morgana dismissed, waving a paw in the air. "Once that's done, I'll give you all the info you want on it."

Izuku raised a brow, curious as to why Morgana might keep it to himself. Thinking about it though, if it wasn't relevant to their current situation, then it made sense. There was no need to distract from their mission with something else entirely.

"Hey, I know I heard a meow. Did you-" Izuku froze when he heard Sojiro's voice, slowly craning his head back to look at the shopkeeper. Despite the initial aggression, Izuku soon realized that he was now distracted by the many posters on the wall of Izuku's room. "Holy crap, kid. I knew you were a fan, but… damn."

"Right?" Morgana chuckled, the green haired teen feeling like they were suddenly ganging up on him despite the literal language barrier between the cat and Sojiro.

Sojiro observed the posters for a moment before shaking his head, turning back to Izuku and Morgana. "Back to what I was saying… I see you brought a cat here." Sojiro said, his tone sharp as he glanced at Morgana. "Mind explaining what that's about?"

"S-sorry, he was-I just uh… found him all alone and abandoned!" Izuku lied, hoping that it might sound convincing. It wasn't like he could explain that it was actually not a cat and it came from another dimension, after all.

"Look, I know you're always trying to do the kind thing, but this is a restaurant! Animals are a no-go! I don't want cat hair getting all over my food!" Sojiro huffed, sparing a glance at Morgana. The cat was leaning down in the bed, looking somewhat anxious over the shouting. Glancing back at Izuku who stood there timidly, Sojiro sighed. He glanced back at Morgana and scratched his head. "Then again… maybe a pet would be a good distraction for you…" Izuku and Morgana brightened at this, the shopkeeper crossing his arms. "It might help to have something to take care of to keep you out of trouble…"

"S-so he can stay?" Izuku asked hopefully, Sojiro humming for a moment before nodding.

"Fine. You can keep him. But keep him up here and don't let him run around downstairs, especially when customers are around." Sojiro relented, a smile spreading across the green haired teen's lips. "If I catch him downstairs, I'll toss it out. And don't expect me to feed it or pick up its poop, got it?"

"Y-yes, Sakura-san! Thank you!" Izuku said gratefully, Sojiro just nodding silently before turning around and taking his leave. The two waited for Sojiro to walk down the stairs before sighing in relief, Morgana sitting up with more confidence.

"I'm guessing he's the ruler of this place. He's surprisingly understandable despite coming off so tough." Morgana hummed, glancing back up at Izuku.

"Yeah, Sakura-san isn't bad. He acts really serious, but he can be nice, too." Izuku smiled, having noted the shopkeeper's actions. He appreciated what Sojiro did for him by letting him stay here and despite their initial impression of one another, were able to see a bit more in each other.

"Must be nice to have someone like that watching out for you." Morgana said, though became silent when the two heard footsteps climbing back up the stairs. Izuku opened his mouth to ask what else, but blinked when he saw a plate of canned tuna in his hand.

"It's hard to ignore the poor thing when it keeps making all those cute sounds." Sojiro sighed, placing the plate in front of Morgana who eyed the food hungrily. "Make sure to wash that plate. By the way, you have a name for it?"

"Y-yeah. Morgana, or Mona for short." Izuku informed him, the shopkeeper's cheek twitching up in disappointment.

"Darn. Kinda wish I would get to name it…" Sojiro sighed, walking back to the stairs. Morgana chuckled, beginning to eat the fish happily.

"Careful, Izuku. I might dethrone you as the second man in charge of this place." Morgana teased, a small bead of sweat trailing down the green haired teen's head. "You know, this place isn't so bad. It's pretty shabby, but way nicer than Kamoshida's cells were. Plus it looks like you cleaned it up nicely enough."

"You should have seen it when I got here. It was a lot to clean up." Izuku chuckled, taking a seat on the bed next to Morgana. The chime of his phone suddenly went off, Izuku checking it to see a number he didn't recognize texting him.

 _?: Did this number work, Midoriya?_

 _?: It's me, Takamaki._

Izuku widened his eyes, realizing that he hadn't gotten her number. _Ryuji-sempai must have given her my number._ He mused, quickly typing his response up after saving the contact information to his phone.

 _Izuku: It's me. Hello sempai._

 _Ann: Ok good. Wanted to make sure the number worked._

 _Ann: On top of wanting to say thank you for today._

Izuku widened his eyes at that, feeling a bit happy but attempting to dismiss the idea.

 _Izuku: It was nothing, really. Sorry that we couldn't tell you from the start…_

 _Ann: It's fine, trust me. I wouldn't have believed it without seeing it for myself. I just wanted to let you and Ryuji know I appreciate you guys saving me. I'll be sure to return the favor and help catch that asshole._

 _Izuku: Ok, then. We'll be relying on you, sempai._

 _Ann: Considering everything we're going through together, I think you and Ryuji can call me by my first name. Ryuji told me to do the same. You okay with me calling you Izuku?_

Izuku stared at his phone, still as stone. After a moment, his face became a red hot mess, steam practically exploding out of his ears. To have a girl tell him to call her by first name was a completely new experience. Sure, he called Makoto by her nickname but that was back when they were children, and it just stuck with them. To have a girl give him the thumbs up for such was almost too much for his innocent heart to take.

"Uh… you okay, Izuku?" Morgana asked, a cat equivalent of a brow raising on his head.

"J-just fine…" Izuku muttered, his phone shaking in his hand as he struggled to type his response.

 _Izuku: S-sure, n-no problem! I-it might be hard for me at first, b-but I'll try._

 _Ann: take it at your own pace lol_

 _Ann: Ryuji told me it might be like that for you, anyway._

 _Ann: Anyway, I'm headin to bed. Thanks again, i'll see u guys tomorrow_

Izuku let out a sheepish laugh as he realized his best friend had already outed his habit to the twin tailed blonde. Not that he minded. Izuku preferred it, in fact, so that he wouldn't seem completely awkward the next time they talked in person. After typing up his reply, Izuku set the phone down on the bed next to him.

"You talk to people and send messages with that thing, right?" Morgana asked, sparing a glance at his phone. "I want in on that! But since I wouldn't really be able to carry a phone or even type with it, I'll just rely on you to send messages for me."

"Sure, I can do that if you like." Izuku nodded, looking up in thought. "I wonder, though… there are people with animal appendages, so I wonder if I could find something that would work with your paws… but then again, we'd have to get you a phone plan, too."

"I think having you convey my messages will make things simpler." Morgana shrugged. "But hey, that power you used to absorb that Shadow was incredible! I didn't think such a thing was possible until now. We'll need to really work on getting more to cover up other weaknesses. But we'll also have to work on strengthening your heart!"

"My heart?" Izuku repeated, somewhat confused by the statement.

"Of course. Persona's are the strength of heart, after all. You'll have to build that up if you want to keep gaining strength, same with me and the others. So, to help you do that, I'm going to be sticking with you at all times from now on." Morgana declared, Izuku blinking in question for a moment.

"What do you mean… at all times?"

"Like I'll have you carry me so that I go with you to school or around town, maybe. At all times."

Izuku stared at the cat with a squint, unsure if the cat was making a joke or was actually being serious in wanting to be carried everywhere. Considering that the cat was still smiling up at him, Izuku assumed it was the latter. "Uh… I'm not sure that's a great idea…"

"Oh, don't be silly. It's perfect! I'll help you meet other people and stuff. It'll be fine! Plus, you can consider it part of the deal we made." Morgana dismissed, leaving little room for argument for Izuku. The green haired teen wanted to say something but was unfortunately held back by his low confidence, slumping over in defeat and relenting to Morgana's wish.

 ***RING***

Izuku sat back up and looked at his phone, picking it up to see Makoto's name on the front of his phone. "K-Koto-san… I guess this would be a good time to apologize…" Izuku muttered, scratching the back of his head. "I would have liked to do it in person, but…"

"Considering she messaged you first, it would be rude to not answer. I think it'll be fine to apologize now." Morgana suggested, earning a hesitant nod from the green haired teen as he opened the message. Having not paid his phone much attention, he realized that Makoto had sent him several messages over the course of time they were in the cognitive world.

 _Makoto: I heard that Kamoshida's going to expel you…_

 _Makoto: This is exactly why I told you not to run off like you did!_

 _Makoto: I know what happened hurt you, but that's why I wanted you to think things through!_

 _Makoto: Please message me when you can!_

 _Makoto: Just… I hope you're both okay…_

Izuku felt guilt fill him, now realizing how much Makoto was concerned for them both after they left. Izuku had been so caught up in what happened to Shiho that he didn't think of how Makoto was feeling. _Koto-san was there with us trying to help… but we ended up leaving her behind._ Shaking his head, Izuku quickly began to type up his response.

 _Izuku: I'm sorry that I didn't answer, Koto-san. Ryuji-sempai and I were running around._

Izuku didn't have to wait long for a response, his phone buzzing almost immediately.

 _Makoto: Thank goodness… But the next time I see you, I'm giving you a good smack._

Izuku could only laugh sheepishly at that. At this point, he would allow the older teen to do whatever she felt like if it would make her feel better.

 _Izuku: If that's what you want, it's ok. I owe you that much after running off like that… i'm sorry. We got too caught up in our anger and paid the price for it. If anything, I'm glad you didn't get grouped with us in that situation._

Makoto's response wasn't immediate, likely taking in his apology and writing a bigger message as well in response.

 _Makoto: No, it's not your fault. It's mine. If I had been of more use to you guys, this might not have happened this way… I'm the one that's sorry._

Izuku felt a frown twitch across his face, concern filling him for his old friend after seeing that she was blaming herself for their potential expulsion.

 _Izuku: No, it's not yours, Koto-san. It's not even mine, either. The real person at fault is Kamoshida._

Izuku paused for a moment, thinking over what he wanted to say next. He had to think of something that might make Makoto feel better about the situation. He had to let her know that Kamoshida was going to be dealt with. Though he wouldn't be able to tell her how it would go down. As much as Izuku wanted to tell her everything, he couldn't. Izuku wouldn't throw her into potential danger like that. He knew that she would be willing to despite that, but there was no telling if a Persona would manifest in her or not.

 _Izuku: … and don't worry. Ryuji-sempai and I have found a way to take him down. We won't let him get away with this._

 _Makoto: You have?! How? What are you guys planning to do?!_

 _Izuku: I… can't tell you that. I know you want to help, but this is dangerous._

 _Makoto: I don't care if it is, I want to help. Tell me, what are you planning to do?_

 _Izuku: I know you want to help, but I won't let you put your future at risk. Ryuji-sempai and I have everything to lose right now, so it doesn't matter either way for us. But if we fail and you're involved, you-_ Izuku couldn't tell her how real the danger was, but he could at least make her aware of the real world problems it would create. Though he couldn't speak of the potential jail time he was going to do if Kamoshida died, but that was another matter entirely. _-you'll lose everything. I won't let that happen._

 _Makoto: Izuku… what is going on?_

Izuku couldn't answer her question, shutting his eyes as he decided to ignore any further messages. He had said too much. The plan was to make Makoto feel better, but now Izuku knew that he had only made her worry more. "I'm an idiot…" he muttered, biting his bottom lip in frustration.

"You were trying your best. Sometimes, our best isn't enough." Morgana suddenly spoke, reminding the green haired teen that he was there, apparently watching the text exchange. "Are you sure that you don't want to bring her into this? It might help reassure her of what's going on, at least."

Izuku looked at Morgana with some thought, this time considering the potential of inviting Makoto. Despite what she might be able to provide, Izuku couldn't think of throwing her into danger like that. Makoto had given up on becoming a hero a long time ago and despite the strength of her Quirk, he had no idea how much training she kept up with it. He wasn't willing to bet her life on it, either.

"I… I'm sure… maybe once this is over, I'll at least show Koto-san that place, but… not while we still have to run into danger." Izuku declared, releasing a heavy sigh before kicking his legs up on his bed, lying on his back. "It's for the best…" Morgana watched him for a moment in concern but still said nothing, trotting up to his side and lying down next to his hip.

* * *

Makoto anxiously waited for any response from Izuku, something that might give her a clue to what he was planning. But after waiting ten minutes, she realized that Izuku wasn't going to answer anymore. He had walled her out of his plans against Kamoshida. _Why… why can't he just tell me?_ Makoto wondered, gripping her phone in agitation and fear. _Am I… really that useless? Even to Midori, who I used to want to protect from everything…_

"Is everything alright, Makoto?"

The brunette was pulled from her dark thoughts, looking away from her phone. Next to their dining room table was her sister, Sae Nijima. She shared Makoto's fair skin and red eyes, but their facial structures were different. The older woman was a bit more slender, less built as Makoto who still practiced her Aikido. Sae wore a feminine black business suit with a black turtleneck. Her hair was long and silver, parting at the top right of her scalp to show her face.

Makoto didn't answer immediately, blinking before immediately setting her phone down. "Y-yes, everything's alright, just… just some drama at school, is all." Makoto tried to dismiss, standing from her seat. "I uh made some dinner for you in the kitchen. Let me grab it."

"It's fine, I'm already up." Sae dismissed, walking into the kitchen. "This 'school drama'. You're not letting it get in the way of your studies, are you?"

"O-of course not. I'm still keeping my grades up as usual, sis." Makoto said, glancing down at the coffee table. At this point, it was her only distraction from the fact that she was being left out by Izuku. Even if it had become somewhat hard to focus, especially now.

"If you say so. Make sure it stays that way. You don't need drama to distract you right now. Save it for when you've made it into college." Sae said, her voice echoing out from the kitchen.

"R-right… I won't let that happen." Makoto sighed, eyes slowly trailing back to her phone. _Maybe… sis is right. Maybe that's all I'm good for. I can't help Midori, anyway. And.. he doesn't want my help, either…_

 **To be continued…**

 **This chapter wasn't as difficult to write out as I thought. If anything, the beginning is what I was most stuck on throughout writing as I wwanted there to be some decent spin of how Izuku thinks things through on their escape and fight. I'm not sure how great it was if at all, but I'll let you all decide on that one.**

 **Now, regarding the end, that was to establish something that I think should be addressed: Izuku's lack of true understanding when it comes to his friends. In most Shonen titles, you have the magical 'power of friendship' and 'I'll always be there for you' speeches from the protagonist. The only reason the protagonist might not see what his friend is feeling is because their friend runs off to deal with it alone before anyone can see what is wrong.**

 **In MHA, Izuku had a clear view of what Iida was feeling and knew why, but wasn't able to understand fully what he was going through his head and what he could have done to help that. This doesn't make Izuku a bad person or anything, it just shows that he's human. He's never had any real friends until he arrived at UA and so he lacks the knowledge and experience to know what to do or say in these kinds of situations. To me, that makes his character feel real. I love it. He wants to help Makoto and make her feel better, but he doesn't know how, and doesn't know what she's truly feeling in these moments.**

 **Anyways, sorry for rambling. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter, as things are getting ready to kick off! Please leave me a review of what you think (I'd definitely like to hear some thoughts on this one), a follow and a favorite if you'd be so kind!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I own neither My Hero Academia or Persona 5**

Chapter 12

Mishima had a fair share of regrets in his life. Mostly it was typical things like the missed opportunities. Being unable to make real friends. Allowing himself to be the victim of bullies and Kamoshida. Never being able to stick out in anything he had ever done in life. But all of those things paled in comparison to his latest regret. Mishima had played a roll in Shiho's attempted suicide. The plain looking teen had sent Shiho to Kamoshida's office at his request, which would lead to the events that occurred. Now, looking at it logically, he could have seen that his involvement was minimal and played no real effect in her decision. But regardless of how insignificant, Mishima couldn't stop from feeling an insufferable amount of guilt. He could have just pretended not to see Shiho. He could have just let her go home rather than telling her Kamoshida wanted her for something. But Mishima didn't want to be the latest victim of his abuse. He decided to be selfish and offered up Shiho in exchange. Mishima's selfishness led to Shiho stepping off that ledge.

"Please… please help me petition, everyone!" Mishima called out meekly, waving a clipboard in the air. He stood alone in the halls at lunch time, trying to get any student's passing by his attention. While Mishima might not have been the most noticeable person, he was at least garnering some inquisitive eyes around him. "I'm trying to get Recovery Girl to come to the hospital and… and help Shiho Suzui. I want to help speed along Suzui-san's health the best I can. So please… please help by signing this! Maybe if we can get her to see exactly how much people care, she'll be the hero we know she is and help Suzui-san!"

While Mishima might not have been able to get everyone around him to notice, he felt some pride in the fact that several students had stopped to listen. Whispers started to echo around him, students slowly stepping forward and pulling out their pens. Mishima brimmed with appreciation, offering the clipboard to the closest student. "P-please pass it around after you've signed. Thank you."

"Now what exactly is going on here?" Mishima felt his heart sink, trembling ever so slightly as he craned his head. Students around him started to pause, following his line of sight to Kamoshida. Those who didn't know better greeted him with smiles and hellos. Mishima, on the other hand, gripped the clipboard in his hand quite fearfully.

"Hiya, Kamoshida-sensei!" One of the second year female students greeted. "Mishima-san's trying to get Recovery Girl to come and help poor Suzui-san in the hospital. I think it's a good idea! Are you going to sign?"

Kamoshida's eyes narrowed venomously for a single moment, one that most save for the plain teen would not notice at all. The only reason Mishima did was because it was often that he would do so when hearing something that displeased him, but because he was in public had to put on a facade.

"Ah, I see. That actually sounds like a good idea. I'm sure if you were able to get it to Recovery Girl, she would leap at the chance to help the poor girl. Great plan, Mishima." Kamoshida plastered on his practiced smile, earning some praise from students around him. Mishima saw right through it though, taking a small step back as the coach approached him. There was no escape though, Mishima flinching as the coach put a seemingly friendly hand on his shoulder, but gripped it painfully. "But as much good as this might be, I have to ask: did you get approval from the office before coming out here to get signatures?"

Mishima's eyes fell to the ground, unable to look the scumbag coach directly. "N-no… I thought that it might take too long if I did…" That was a lie. Mishima knew if he got it processed through the office, Kamoshida would tear the paper up before it could even be looked at.

"Well I'm sorry to say this, but I can't allow this petition to go on. Not so long as it doesn't have the proper approval." Kamoshida declared, earning some disheartened looks around him. But to clean the ignorant masses of any doubts, Kamoshida once again grinned. "But hey, I have an idea. Let me take this to the office and I'll get all the technical stuff sorted and out of the way. One talk with the principal and I'll have it back to you in no time."

"Oh, Kamoshida-sensei! You're like a real hero, too!" One girl called out, earning a chorus of praises around them. Mishima felt his body tremble, knowing that their praise was going to the monster that caused the calamity from the day before. He wanted to shout, to tell them they were all being idiots and they were wrong about Kamoshida. But even if the coach wasn't there, Mishima knew he didn't have the strength to call him out. It would fall on deaf ears and other students would go back to shunning him. To treating him like a zero.

"Now, Mishima. You can safely hand that off to me for now and I'll take care of the rest." Kamoshida told him, though Mishima could hear the demand in his voice as the grip on his shoulder tightened. Mishima's grip on the clipboard was now shaky, not wanting to let go but not seeing any other way out of this. _I-I'm sorry I'm so useless, Suzui… I'm sorry I couldn't help you out._

"You don't have to worry about that." Mishima and Kamoshida blinked, both turning their gazes to see Makoto Nijima standing just inside the crowd of students. She offered a curt smile, placing a hand on her hip. "I was actually planning something similar. I'm quite pleased to see another student was thinking of asking for Recovery Girl's help, too."

Mishima felt a small kindling of hope return to him, Kamoshida's grip on his shoulder loosening as the coach turned his attention to the student council president. "O-oh, is that right? I-it's truly inspiring to hear that the student prez is taking care of business." Kamoshida cleared his throat, now sporting a more kind grin. Behind the facade, Mishima and Makoto knew that the coach was furious.

"That's right. Since the paperwork and approval is all settled, Mishima-san can continue his effort to get signatures. In fact, I'll be sure to get some third year signatures as well." Makoto declared, not at all dropping her act in the face of the coach. Kamoshida stepped forward, but stopped. Mishima knew what held him back. Makoto was outside of his control. She wasn't in any sports and she was a rather high praised student among the teachers.

"Wow, I hadn't realized you cared so much, Nijima-sempai! You're amazing!" Students began to give their praise to the student council president, Kamoshida's eyes looking around at the crowd with hidden disdain before landing on Makoto. The two made eye contact, his narrowing ever so slightly while she continued to beam. Mishima couldn't help but fear for the student council president now. While Kamoshida couldn't stop her in any way right now, she had just put herself in his sights.

"I'd like to sign that petition." Kamoshida suddenly tensed, Mishima looking to the side to see Izuku Midoriya standing there. Ryuji Sakamoto was close behind as well as Ann Takamaki. Mishima saw it out of the corner of his eye, but noticed Makoto's expression falter the moment she saw him. Whispers started to surround them again, this time of suspicion and fear. All for the first year student with a criminal record.

In spite of the chatter, Izuku proceeded toward Mishima, offering a kind smile as he held out his hand. "I believe Recovery Girl would help if she saw this, too. Please, let me sign." Mishima hesitated for a moment, at first still somewhat shaken by Kamoshida's presence. But looking up at Izuku, Mishima found a bit of courage within, slowly handing the clipboard over to him.

"It's nice to see when a punk with a record tries to do some good in the wake of a tragedy." Kamoshida offhandedly remarked, approaching the two and offering a plastic smile. Izuku signed his name before looking up at Kamoshida with a glare, not bothering to reply as Kamoshida leaned forward. "But it won't do you any good. You'll be gone and off to jail in two weeks time." Kamoshida whispered quietly enough for only Izuku and Mishima to hear. Mishima was instilled with fear once again, afraid that this one act might have painted himself with the same fate. But despite the promise, Izuku just continued to glare, not making a sound in response. Kamoshida didn't linger, not wanting other students to suspect him of his true nature. "I hope you all take care. Especially you, Takamaki-chan. I know Suzui was an important friend of yours." Kamoshida said, giving a smile that made Ann sick to her stomach just looking at it.

"Bastard…" Ryuji muttered to the side, Ann staying close behind him as Kamoshida marched past. "I'll sign too."

"Me three." Ann offered, giving a small smile to Mishima in encouragement. Izuku handed the clipboard back to them, allowing them to put their signatures in.

"Th-thank you…" Mishima muttered out, looking at Izuku and Ryuji. "I'm… sorry that Kamoshida's going to expel you, though…"

"We'll see about that…" Ryuji huffed before giving him a thumbs up. "But, hey. Keep up the good work and get more signatures. Suzui could use a hero right about now."

"I'm glad someone's doing their best to look out for Shiho. Thank you." Ann declared, giving Mishima a small but genuine smile.

"R-right. I'll keep getting more students to sign." Mishima nodded before taking the clipboard from them and heading to the other students, now busying himself in discussion.

"At least someone cares to do something." Ann sighed, glancing at her two comrades. "So then, after school on the roof, right?"

"That's right. We're going to plan our next move from there." Izuku said, nodding in confirmation.

"And what exactly are you planning to do?" Izuku suddenly tensed, now realizing that Makoto was still standing there behind him. Ann and Ryuji widened their eyes, feeling the intensity as Makoto stepped forward. The green haired teen slowly craned his neck, now becoming fearful of talking to the third year student president. He was honestly hoping to avoid her until the entire ordeal was over. The likeliness of that was low, obviously, but Izuku hoped for it nonetheless. Obviously, he failed in such plans immediately.

"A-ah, Koto-san, we were just-"

 ***Thwak***

Izuku held the top of his head in pain, Makoto having chopped it with a decent amount of force. "I told you that I owed you a smack for making me worry all day yesterday." She huffed, crossing her arms expectantly.

"R-right…"

"S-so uh… we'll be going…" Ryuji laughed uneasily, backing away from the two as he grabbed Ann's arm and pulling her back with him.

"Y-yeah… we've gotta get some food, you know? So… bye!" Ann pitifully excused herself, the two quickly turning around and marching away. Izuku couldn't help but feel abandoned at this point, even if he was expecting this talk. While he wasn't technically alone, Morgana being in his bag, the cat couldn't possibly help him in this discussion.

"I didn't realize Takamaki-san was now part of this." Makoto said, her voice hiding little of her accusation as her glare faltered into a more dejected expression. It was enough to make Izuku wince in guilt. "So… I was that useless after all, huh?"

"N-no! It's nothing like that!" Izuku quickly disregarded, taking Makoto off guard for a moment. "T-Takamaki-sempai… Suzui-sempai was her best friend. She ended up… sort of involving herself before we could stop her." He admitted with a sigh, eyes cast to the ground. As much as he wanted to tell Makoto the truth, he wasn't willing to risk the danger. If Makoto was half as stubborn as she was as a child, he knew that there would be no stopping her from that point on. "I… I can't let you get any further down that hole… if we mess up, it could mean your future, too."

Makoto opened her mouth, wanting to argue. Wanting to tell him that she was ready for anything and was willing to take the risk. But immediately, she was reminded of her sister. If they failed and things did go as terribly as he suspected, Sae would end up paying for her mistakes. Her older sister would end up being put through so much pain. Just like when their father passed. But it would be Makoto's fault. This put her at an impasse, though. Despite the passage of time, Makoto still felt a deep care for Midoriya. She wanted to help him get out of this situation, whatever the risk. If it were to only affect her, there would be no question about it.

But should they fail, how could she put Sae through such trouble after all their suffering?

Makoto bit her bottom lip, shutting her eyes tightly and turning her head away from him. "Okay… I… I understand." Izuku's eyes widened, thankful but confused about Makoto's decision. "Whatever it is you have to do… I hope you can make it work. So by the end of this… you better not mess things up. We just reunited, after all." Makoto told him, offering a sullen but somewhat encouraging smile.

Izuku was silent for a moment, still a bit shocked by her decision. Shaking his head, Izuku felt determination well up within him, nodding in acceptance. "Okay. I'll do whatever it takes. Thank you, Koto-san." Makoto merely nodded before turning around, heading to the stairs silently. Despite her blessing, Izuku couldn't help but feel somewhat conflicted over the situation.

"I think that actually went well, all things considered." Morgana said, finally revealing himself as he poked his head out of Izuku's bag. Seeing Izuku's hesitation, the cat tilted his head. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah… I just still feel bad. But I'm glad she was able to understand." Looking back at Morgana, Izuku furrowed his brow seriously. "Let's not fail, no matter what!"

* * *

"Alright, let's get goin'!" Ryuji huffed, tapping his foot impatiently. As discussed, the four met on the rooftop after school,"I wanna hurry and take that asshole out! The sooner the better!"

"Not so fast, Ryuji. We're going to be making some preparations before we head in." Morgana spoke up, causing the faux blond to blink in confusion.

"Preparations? What do we need to do that for? We'll just go in and use our Persona's to kick ass like we've been doing." Ryuji argued, only for the cat to shake his head.

"Don't underestimate the objective ahead of us. We still have a lot to push through. What we need is proper equipment and rations for our time inside of the Palace." Morgana explained, earning a grunt of annoyance from Ryuji.

"He's right, Ryuji-sempai. We might end up spending hours inside the palace with a lot of fighting. While our Personas are strong, using them drains our stamina. Not to mention we'll need to be prepared for when one of us gets injured." Izuku spoke up this time, looking down at the ground as he held his chin in thought. "What we need to do is perhaps get more intimidating model guns, food and drinks for keeping our energy up and medicine and bandages for any resulting injuries. Morgana-san might have a healing power, but we don't know to what extent and how much stamina it would take to constantly heal us."

"Well… when you put it like that, I guess preparing wouldn't be a bad idea." Ann hummed, having wanted to dive into the Palace as well but seeing the reasoning behind his words.

"Alright, fine. I get it." Ryuji sighed before his expression brightened. "Oh, but I do know a place we can go to get more equipment! We can go there now if you guys want."

"Actually, Izuku and I are planning to pay a visit to a local doctor in Yongen. How about you and Ann handle that and the food rations we'll be needing for our energy?" Morgana suggested, though Izuku grimaced at the mention of the doctor.

"I'm still not sure about going to see her… it would be pretty strange for me to ask for medicine, don't you think?" Izuku mumbled, earning some odd looks from Ryuji and Ann.

"You worry way too much. We'll just make up an excuse like you're sick or something." Morgana waved him off, eliciting a sigh from the green haired teen.

"Why don't we just buy some over the counter stuff?" Ann suggested, but earned a head shake from Morgana.

"If injuries get bad enough, nothing store bought will be enough to help. We need some serious medicine to help us out. If anything, just get some bandages and antiseptics. We'll handle the bigger stuff." Morgana said, nods of understanding coming from Ryuji and Ann. "Now let's go, Izuku. We're going to have to do our part and convince the doctor ourselves. And by we I mean you."

"How am **I** supposed to convince her?!"

* * *

Izuku gulped as he stood in front of the clinic. He was surprised just how close it was to Leblanc, the coffee shop only around the corner. Still, he was wishing that it was somewhere a bit farther at this point. The doctor had been a bit intimidating during their first meeting. Though that was mostly because of her blunt attitude rather than her demeanor. And now Izuku was supposed to convince this doctor to provide him with some strong medicine with some scrounge up excuse? That wouldn't be the easiest thing to do considering he had only seen her the day before. Her suspicions will be rather high.

"A-are you sure this is a good idea?" Izuku said, turning his head back to his bag. Morgana poked his head out, giving him a stern look.

"Come on, Izuku. We need more than some migraine medicine for what's ahead. This is our best option available!" Morgana reasoned, pointing a paw toward the office. "Now get in there and work your magic. You're a pretty good tactician on the field. I'll believe in your ability to adapt here as well."

 _A combat situation and social interactions are in no way the same!_ Izuku mentally screeched, biting his bottom lip as he turned back to the clinic. With a heavy sigh, Izuku mustered up some small remnants of courage within him, stiffly walking forward and opening the door to the clinic. Inside, compact would be the most accurate description. The office was faded white paint, likely having not been touched with a brush in ages. In the small lobby, a cheap red cushioned sofa sat under the cork board that held several pamphlets and papers. Just to Izuku's left was the reception counter that protected the top half with a glass window. Izuku immediately met eyes with the doctor from before, who sat behind the counter.

"Hello, welcome to Takemi's Medical Clinic. Is this your first visit?" The doctor asked, her voice flat and carrying little to no energy. Recognition crossed her features, the gothic doctor raising a brow. "Hey. Weren't you the jumpy kid from the cafe?"

"A-ah, yeah. That's me…" Izuku nervously laughed, scratching the back of his head before bowing politely. "I-I'm Midoriya Izuku. Please take care of me…"

"Doctor Tae Takemi. Surprised to see you again so soon." She answered, leaning back in her chair. "So, are you here for a visit? Or did you decide it was love at first sight and stalk me?"

"Huh?" Izuku blinked owlishly at her casual accusation, immediately waving his arms urgently in dismissal. "N-n-no, it's nothing like that! I-I just heard you were a doctor a-and thought you could help me!"

"Don't take everything so seriously, kid." Takemi said with an amused giggle before standing from her seat. "So what's the problem? Let me guess, you want something to help calm your nerves. I'd want something like that if I was as jittery as you."

"W-well, it's a combination of things… I have trouble focusing and lose energy while I'm forced to study…" Izuku tried to remember what he had practiced before. Giving her some half assed excuse would lead to something over the counter that wouldn't be of much help. They needed something for their energy and keeping them healthy while inside the Palace.

Takemi stared at him for a moment, most likely assessing his answers before nodding. "Alright. Go head to the exam room and wait for me." She said, pointing a finger at the door just ahead of Izuku. The green haired teen stiffly nodded, following her directions silently as he walked forward and opened the door.

 _Not too bad so far… if I just keep up my act, I should be able to get what we need. She already thinks I'm pretty jumpy, so that might help._ Izuku let out a small breath, trying to relax a bit as he took a seat. The exam room was bigger than the lobby, a desk with files and a monitor on top of it and to his right a blue cushioned comforter. Takemi didn't take long to join him, walking inside and taking a seat in the computer chair by her desk.

"So, then. From what you've described to me it sounds like a combination of stress and anxiety. You've probably been unable to focus because you're worried about everything going on which, combined with your jittery personality, is definitely not good." Takemi declared, humming in thought while Izuku couldn't help but face fault at her unrelenting assessment. "Perhaps you'd do well with some muscle relaxers. Maybe even some pain relievers."

"N-no, muscle relaxers would make me fall asleep. I need something to help me when I'm studying and active." Izuku shook his head, trying to get something specific so that it wouldn't knock someone out during their mission.

"Ah, so this is about your studies, then? Well, I think I can give you something that will help you focus and top it off with a painkiller that won't knock you out." Takemi hummed, scribbling something on a clipboard in her hand before shifting her gaze. "That is if you start to be a bit more honest with me."

"Izuku blinked, taken off guard by her words. "Wh-what do you mean?"

"You're pretty smart. You used your complex to your advantage to try and get something specific to what you need." Takemi declared, crossing her legs and leaning an elbow on her knee. "But perhaps a bit too specific. You might actually need it to study, but I get the feeling there's more to it. I'm not as dumb as I look."

"I-I don't think you're dumb, I just…" Izuku started to panic, sweat trailing down his face as he waved his arms around frantically. His conversation skills were already pretty weak, having to recover after losing his momentum wasn't the easiest thing to do for him. "I… I've just got a lot on my plate…" Izuku admitted, not technically lying as his eyes trailed to the ground.

"... I see." Takemi hummed, silent for a moment in thought. "Things are pretty tough for teenagers nowadays… and judging from how you are, I doubt you're up to no good. Okay, I'll sell you some medicine."

Izuku blinked, looking back up at Takemi in complete shock. "R-really?"

"Yeah. Just some stuff to help with your health and focus, though. Nothing really strong." Takemi declared, looking back down at her board and writing something else. "Just know that this is my private practice. I make the majority of my medicine myself. I'm sure you've heard about some of the 'crazy' medicine I produce, correct?"

"N-not that much, honestly. Someone mentioned it in passing, but that's about it." Izuku admitted, scratching the back of his head.

"Huh. Normally people come to me after hearing some of the outlandish rumors. I was suspicious as I was because that's usually the case." Takemi admitted, leaning back in her chair. "Here's a list of the medicines I can provide and what they'll do for you. You can work out the amount and cost on your own." Takemi handed him the clipboard, a list presented to him. Izuku had a bit of an allowance given to him from his mother each month as well as the small amount of cash that they picked up from Shadows they defeated. He wasn't able to get much with what he had, but Izuku picked out the most useful medicine on the list to them. Takemi took a quick look before standing up and retrieving his desired medicine and pulling them out of a nearby cabinet, handing him a paper bag with each bottle inside. "Alright. Please come again."

"Th-thank you, Takemi-sensei." Izuku said in appreciation, bowing before turning around to take his leave. The moment he opened the door, a middle aged man was on the other side. Izuku blinked in surprise, stepping aside to let the man in before closing the door after him.

"Oh, doctor. What brings you here? Do you need some medicine? Perhaps something for a headache or athlete's foot?" Izuku heard through the door, hesitating for a moment. While Takemi's voice was as flat as usual, he could pick up on the obvious sarcasm. Not to mention she knew the man.

"Don't mess with me, Takemi. I came here because of all the talk. I've been hearing tale that you're still making some mysterious drugs lately. Something along the lines of some super energy drug that can keep people going?"

Izuku widened his eyes, becoming more interested in the conversation. He felt bad about eavesdropping, but something along those lines could help the team out greatly. Not that he could take rumors as anything more than that. While Takemi was definitely odd, was she really so strange that she created super medicines like that?

"First I've ever heard of it. Sounds like something a genius would come up with. I'm just a quack. So why not leave me alone and leave it at that?" Takemi countered with little emotion, the blue haired doctor keeping up a strong guard from the sound of it.

"So long as you keep quiet and stay in your little corner of town, I might. But when you start causing a ruckus with your odd medicine, it brings too much attention to yourself. I don't need you stealing my clients." The doctor snapped in irritation, Izuku raising a brow at his odd amount of aggression. "You're a disgrace to the medical community. The name Tae Takemi will forever be infamous."

"Tsk." Was Takemi's only response. She was obviously annoyed by his words but didn't lash back. Izuku knew she had a sharp tongue and was a bit surprised not to hear her retort. But then again, what went on to cause all of this was still a mystery to him.

"Hey, is someone out there?!" Izuku jumped in surprise, instinctively running to the door and rushing out. Izuku hadn't realized how long he had been eavesdropping, feeling far more nervous than he would have expected. He couldn't really get in trouble for eavesdropping, but it was a natural reaction after hearing something you shouldn't have.

"Talk about interesting. Good job sticking around until the end." Morgana praised, sticking his upper half out again and leaning on his shoulder. "If what that other doctor said was true, we might have something very helpful at our disposal."

"I didn't really see anything on Takemi-sensei's log that would indicate something like that. I'm not sure how legitimate the rumor might be." Izuku suggested, holding his chin in thought. "It might be better to let this go rather than dig deeper. She was willing to sell us a few useful things as is."

"But don't you think a super drug with unlimited energy sounds incredibly useful?!"

"Yes, but there are plenty of illegal narcotics with the same effect. It could be a terrible recreational drug for all we know." Izuku reminded him, the cat's ears drooping slightly. "I don't think Takemi-sensei would sell something illegal like that, but I think reminding her of all the rumors would be rude…"

"Oh, yeah… I suppose you could be right." Morgana sighed in resignation. "I still think we should look into it, but we'll take what we can get for now…"

* * *

Ryuji and Ann roamed the aisles of Shibuya's quick stop convenience store, trying to find the best sources of energy for their trip through the Palace. "So what kind of drinks should we bring? Soda or energy drinks?" Ann asked, holding the tip of her chin as she looked at the assortment of bottled refreshments.

"Neither. Energy drinks might help for a bit, but you get a heavy crash after a while." Ryuji suggested, eyes narrowing as he looked at certain products. "We'll need some green apples and oranges to help keep us on our feet and full. As far as drinks go, I'd say somethin' like sports drinks and water for when we stop in a safe room. If we get some energy drinks, just a few in case we need some emergency energy quick."

"You sure know your stuff, huh? Then again you were on the track team, right?" Ann smirked, looking at Ryuji from the side while mildly impressed.

"Yep. Used to workout pretty damn hard in those days. Considering what we gotta do, we're probably going to spend a lotta energy." Ryuji hummed, grabbing several drinks from the shelf and placing them in the arm basket he was carrying. "You're pretty thin. Don't you work out?"

"Me? Not really. I've just always been able to stay skinny." Ann shrugged, earning an owlish blink from Ryuji.

"What? No way. I remember how much you used to woof down in middle school. You'd eat like two kids portions back then." Ryuji recalled, somewhat amazed and disgusted at the same time.

"Hey! It's rude to point out a girls eating habits, you know!" Ann snapped indignantly back, brow furrowing in annoyance.

"Heh, you used to say that a lot in middle school, too." Ryuji chuckled carelessly, moving on to the produce section with Ann close behind. "Hey, got any snack ideas? Fruits should be fine, but if you got somethin' in mind that'll help keep your energy up, you should grab it."

"Well, chocolate does sound good… maybe some pastries too!" Ann said, smiling at the thought of bringing some donuts to eat with them during their likely dangerous tour of the castle.

"I said somethin' for energy, not somethin' to satisfy your sweet tooth!" Ryuji blanched, half lidded eyes staring at Ann in disappointment.

"Oh let me eat what I want. If it helps, then it helps!" Ann retorted, only earning a resigned sigh from Ryuji.

"Fine, whatever. Get whatever you think will help, then." Ryuji conceded, a triumphant grin spreading across Ann's lips as she fist pumped. "We're gonna be puttin' in so much physical activity, it might not matter much for your weight, anyway. Still, careful eatin' so many sweets or you'll get fat."

"You just know exactly what to say to a girl, huh?" Ann huffed irritably, the two falling silent for a moment as she went and retrieved several sweets and tossed them in his basket. They walked around for a bit longer, scanning for any last minute additions to what they already stocked up on. "Hey, Ryuji?"

"Hm? 'Sup?"

"How did Izuku get involved in all of this?" Ann asked, causing the faux blond to blink stop what he was doing, turning a raised brow to Ann. "I've just been trying to think it over. I mean, I know that you and him were the first ones to go in, but he's not like you or me. We've got something really personal against that asshole. What's his reason?"

Ryuji scratched the back of his neck, unsure how to answer the question at first. "Well… that's not technically true. I guess we didn't say so before, but Kamoshida's the one who leaked his criminal record."

"Wait, what?!" Ann's eyes widened in surprise. "But why? I mean, it definitely seems like something Kamoshida would do, but Izuku just got here. Why pick on him?"

"Beats me, honestly. Izuku and Morgana think it's probably because he didn't want his reputation to be overshadowed. He probably thought leaking the record would make him switch schools or somethin'." Ryuji shrugged, still a bit confused over the subject. "Though, thinkin' about it now, that's not really the reason he decided to stand up to Kamoshida."

"It's not? Then what was?" Ann asked curiously. This question seemed to pose some difficulty to Ryuji though, the faux blond biting his bottom lip anxiously. "What is it?"

"Well… I'm not sure if he'd want me tellin' you this, but… I'd say you deserve to know. Plus, I doubt he'd wanna be the one to tell you. It's… still pretty fresh in his mind, after all." Ryuji sighed, leaning against the edge of a produce stand. "Izuku was… there on the rooftop yesterday."

Ann felt her body tense, eyes widening as her hand clutched at her side. "W-what?" She muttered out, the scene playing out in her mind again just from the reminder. It made her blood run cold.

"Izuku said that Suzui was the only other person aside from me and Nijima-sempai to make him feel better about bein' at our school." Ryuji went on to explain, his voice slightly faltering. "He saw her goin' up to the roof and knew somethin' was wrong. He followed her up and when he realized what she was doing tried his best to stop her. But… he was too late. But before she jumped, she told Izuku what Kamoshida did to her. Izuku wasn't sure what the right thing to do was before, but when that happened, he knew exactly what he needs to do."

Ann's gaze fell to the ground, eyes misting up as she felt shame beginning to consume her. "How much of an idiot am I… her best friend… that I couldn't see what was going on… but someone she barely met picked up on it before me..?" Ann mumbled out, biting her bottom lip in frustration as she brought her hands up to her face, gripping at her hair in frustration. Ryuji rubbed his arm, now feeling guilty for making Ann feel so terrible because of what he said. He hesitated for a moment before reaching a hand out and gripping her shoulder, Ann looking up to see Ryuji giving her a look of determination.

"Hey. What's done is done. All we can do now is fix what's been messed up. You, me, Izuku and Morgana. We're gonna make that asshole pay. And you're gonna get revenge for Suzui. So keep your chin up, alright?" Ryuji encouraged her the best he could, his voice remaining even and strong as he spoke. Ann stared at him for a moment longer before nodding, giving a weak smile as she wiped her eyes on her jacket sleeve.

"Y-yeah, you're right… We've got plenty of work to do, too. So let's make sure we're prepared." Ann said, letting out a small cough to clear her throat and even her voice back out as she gave him a smile. "Thanks for reminding me."

"No problem. We're a team now. From now on, we got each other's backs." Ryuji declared, giving a toothy grin and a thumbs up to the twin tailed blonde.

"You know, you actually sounded kind of cool there for a bit, Ryuji." Ann teasingly giggled, earning a pouty lip from the faux blond.

"Only for a bit?" Ryuji replied indignantly, only for Ann to shrug her shoulders before turning her back to him.

"I have to admit, though. Izuku's a lot tougher than I thought." Ann remarked, sparing a glance back at Ryuji. "He acts so timid, but he was fighting just as hard as any of us. He even helped me get back on my feet."

"Yeah, he can be kinda confusin' that way, huh?" Ryuji chuckled, giving a small but proud smile. "I've only known him a few days, but I really like the guy. He wanted to be a hero before all this, you know. That got ripped away from him by a shitty adult too, though. It's definitely somethin' I can relate to."

"A hero? Him?" Ann asked in mild surprise, raising a brow. "I mean, after yesterday I can definitely see it, but isn't he Quirkless?"

"Yeah, he is. From the beginning he had it rough goin' that route. But then it was completely pulled away when he got a record for some bullshit." Ryuji paused when he heard his phone chime, pulling it out and checking the messages. "Hey, it's Izuku. He says they got the medicine. If we want, we can meet him at the shop I mentioned earlier."

"Nah, I wouldn't really know what to get. I mean, I got a cool submachine gun along with the whip and my Persona, but I still don't know much about weapons." Ann shrugged, slinging her bag over her shoulders. "Plus I've gotta head home soon. Why don't you two handle it and get me whatever you think works?"

"If you say so. Izuku lives all the way in Yongen, so no reason to make him take a train back. Might as well just handle it tomorrow." Ryuji shrugged before texting Izuku back. With that, the two purchased their supplies before dispersing from Shibuya.

* * *

Izuku walked close behind Ryuji as they entered a small shop titled Untouchable. Izuku was a bit surprised that the story was hidden away in the back alley of Shibuya's mainstreet, which was unusual considering the traffic that a shop would want on the mainstreet. Izuku's only guess as to why that might be would be cheaper rented space in the alley. It certainly didn't make the shop very attractive to people and looked more like a shady business rather than a legitimate store. "Alright, we're here. This is where I got that Snipe pistol from." Ryuji declared, the faux blond grinning dumbly as he looked around.

The inside was no more impressive than the outside, being small and a bit clustered. At the front counter, a man was sitting with his legs kicked up and a magazine in his hand. He wore a heavy gray jacket and matching hat. On his hat was a pair of ear mufflers that one might find in a shooting range. He looked to be middle aged, gray hair sticking out under his hat along with stubble on his chin. The man paid them little mind, focusing on the magazine in his hand.

"I've never been in a store like this… it's strange to see so many model guns in one place." Izuku admitted, looking around the shop with mild interest. "Okay, let's pick out the best looking guns. From what Morgana said, the more realistic it looks the better it will perform due to cognition."

"Sounds like a plan. We should ask the shopkeep for the recommendations. It'll save us some time." Ryuji suggested, jerking a thumb toward the man behind the counter. Izuku and Ryuji walked up, waiting for the man to take notice of them. They were silent, not trying to be rude while the man supposedly remained ignorant. At first they thought he might not have noticed them, but that idea was dismissed when he spared them a small glance before returning his attention back to his magazine. "Hey! We need some help here."

The man sighed in resignation, folding up his magazine and kicking his legs down. "What do you want? If you're lookin' for cosplay, the selection out there should be enough."

"We're not lookin' for some plastic kids stuff, we want some real lookin' crap!" Ryuji disregarded, earning a skeptical look from the shopkeep. "We're collectin' some decent modelsso we're not messin' around with the lame shit."

"Is that right? Okay then, what are you lookin' for in a gun. A rifle? An automatic? An assault weapon?" He questioned, obviously testing Ryuji's supposed knowledge of guns. The confused look on Ryuji's face had been answer enough.

"Uh… automatic?" Ryuji muttered dumbly, Izuku sweating slightly as he realized how quickly Ryuji exposed his naivety in guns. "Why the hell does a car preference matter?"

"R-Ryuji-sempai, he's talking about an automatic firearm." Izuku interjected, hoping to salvage the situation. "But judging from your… previous choice, I think you want another shotgun." Izuku then turned back to the shopkeeper who raised a brow in mild surprise of his knowledge. "For me, I'd like another pistol. Another one like Snipes would be good, though more realistic looking. Oh, and a submachine gun would work, too. I'm not sure if you would sell such a thing, but would you also happen to have a slingshot?"

Ryuji was stunned to silence, slightly overwhelmed by Izuku's apparent knowledge in the area. The shopkeeper let out a dry laugh, crossing his arms. "Color me impressed. I definitely wouldn't have pegged you as a gun enthusiast. You obviously know more than blondie here."

"H-hey!"

"Alright, tell you what. I'll give you a catalog of my recommendations for you to look through. Just the beginner selection, but if you keep comin' back for more, I'll show you some of the serious stuff." The shopkeeper declared, standing from his seat and walking into the back of his shop.

Ryuji waited a moment, watching the shopkeeper disappear from sight before turning to Izuku with a big grin. "Dude, I didn't know you knew so much about guns! Are you actually a collector?"

"N-no, nothing like that." Izuku laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Until last night, I didn't know much of anything about guns. But since we were planning to get some more model guns, I thought I'd look into them with more detail to try and help get the best selection possible."

"You'd be surprised how studious he gets when he sets his mind to something." Morgana said, popping his head out from his bag for a moment. "He was up all night looking at a bunch of different sites for each of the ranged weapons we possess."

"Hey, get back in the bag!" Ryuji whisper shouted, pushing the cats head down before the shopkeeper returned. "Hey, since you know what you're lookin' for, you can go ahead and pick mine out. Just make sure it looks cool." the faux blond chuckled, pulling out his wallet and handing Izuku a small stack of yen before walking outside. The shopkeeper came back, reaching a hand out and giving Izuku a small folder.

"Go nuts. Just make sure that you guys don't go swingin' them around. I don't need the fuzz comin' around here askin' questions. Even if they're fake, they look real enough to get you into trouble." The shopkeep warned, placing his hands on his hips.

"R-right. We'll do our best to be careful." Izuku nodded before turning his back to the shopkeeper and walking through the store, scanning through the folder. "Okay. The shotgun that materialized with Ryuji-sempai was a standard pump shotgun. Ideally it would be better to try and get a semi-automatic shotgun to replace it for faster fire. Judging from the catalog it looks like none are within the range of cash I've got. I'll have to focus on the more realistic look instead rather than the functionality. Getting Takamaki-sempai another submachine gun might be easier considering they're all around the same price, but finding one that would use larger rounds would probably up the damage output-"

"Kid." Izuku suddenly paused, blinking as he looked back at the shopkeep. "I've got no idea what you're sayin', but stop it. It's creepin' me out."

* * *

After spending several minutes sorting through the options, Izuku walked out with several bags hanging from a strap hoisted over his shoulder, offering a pleasant smile to Ryuji once the faux blond came into sight. "Looks like you really came through! Great job."

"He had some trouble deciding on everything, but from what I saw he picked some pretty interesting items. We should be all set now to go through the Palace." Morgana declared as he once again popped out of Izuku's bag, leaning over his shoulder.

"We don't really have the money for the best possible guns right now, but I was able to pick out some of the best in our price range, I think." Izuku suggested, handing a bag over to Ryuji. "He even had a catalogue of melee weapons. Once we get more money, we should come back and check those out, too. It was a lot to go through."

"Sweet. Sounds like a plan to me. Though I think I'll leave shoppin' to you now." Ryuji chuckled as the two walked out of the alley, taking a moment to wait for a gap in the crowd of people walking through.

"Please, everyone! Please take a moment to stop and listen!" Izuku and Ryuji raised a brow as they heard a feminine voice jovially calling out. Looking around, they could see a gathering circle nearby, Ryuji and Izuku sparing a glance at one another before curiously trekking forward to check it out. "I would like you all~ to pay close attention!" Izuku and Ryuji pushed through the crowd, getting a good view of who was garnering all this scrutiny.

At the center was a young girl, likely Izuku's age. She had pink locks of hair that went down to her neck. The most notable aspect of her looks were her yellow eyes that looked like they had crosshairs replacing her irises. Show wore a dark forest green tank top with leather straps over her shoulders attached to a metal pack on her back. She wore cargo pants that were stained with black grease as well as parts of her face and arms. On top of her head was a peculiar set of large goggles with what looked like antlers on top of her head. On her feet was a pair of strangely large metal boots that went up to her calf.

"My name is Hatsume Mei, first year student of UA's class 1-H, the support division! I would like to display my beautiful babies for all of you to see!" The rather energetic girl proclaimed, a microphone connected to her head that connected to her goggles.

"A UA student?!" Izuku blinked in amazement, immediately becoming more interested in what the girl had to say.

"Support division? What's that?" Ryuji asked, glancing at Izuku in confusion.

"While UA is most notable for its hero training courses, it also has a supplement of side courses. The support division is for students who are interested in building equipment and costumes for heroes and companies rather than fighting crime themselves." Izuku explained, an excited smile spreading across his lips as he watched the girl with great fascination. "I've always wondered what the support course classes were capable of! This could be pretty amazing!"

"You sure know your stuff when it comes to that school, huh?" Ryuji chuckled, returning his attention forward as he now became interested in what Mei had to offer.

"Thanks to UA's resources, I have been blessed with being able to create as many of my precious babies as I like~! To give you all an example, I brought one such baby with me today!" She produced a small trigger in her hand, grinning as she pushed the button. Suddenly the large metal boots on her feet whirred to life, Mei beginning to lift off the ground. Izuku and Ryuji inhaled in disbelief, the crowd around them mirroring the action as they witnessed Me beginning to float around in the air without batting an eye. "I present to you all my hover soles! I can use them to glide through the air at my own speed. Whether it's nice and slow…" Mei floated forward, giving the crowd a closer look at the boots as she went around the ring.

"... Or quick and accurate!" The boots blared, wind blowing across the crowd with great strength. Ryuji and Izuku put their arms up to shield from the heavy blast of air, Morgana lowering his head to lessen the amount of impact on him. Mei flew forward, quickly ascending up the nearest building without failure, going up ten meters in the air.

"Dude, no effin' way!" Ryuji blanched in complete shock, jaw slackening as he watched Mei climb higher by the second.

"I-I didn't realize the support course was so advanced! This is incredible…" Izuku mumbled in amazement, watching as Mei pushed off the building, all the while laughing like a maniac as she now began descending toward the ground. Despite her increasing speed, she never dropped her smile, immediately kicking her legs up and amping up the hover soles. Air whirred at her feet, immediately slowing her fall so until she was five feet off the ground, now hovering with its usual strength. Mei pressed another button, the hover soles shutting off and allowing her to fall to the ground with a thud.

Immediately the surrounding crowd began to cheer with life, no doubt impressed by Mei's invention. Izuku and Ryuji were no exceptions, both clapping their praise for the eccentric girl's invention. "Dude, that was effin' awesome!" Ryuji laughed, unable to peel away the grin on his face.

"E-even among the notable students from UA in the past, I've never seen someone with such advanced equipment except for Power Loader!" Izuku said, looking up at Ryuji with an equally impressed smile.

"Imagine if we had equipment like that for the Palace…" Morgana muttered, no less amazed than either of the teens by what he had just seen.

"Thank you, thank you. I''m glad you can all come to appreciate what my babies are capable of as well!" Mei spoke once again, placing her hands on her hips. "Now I'm sure you're all very curious as to why I've displayed my babies so freely to you all! Well, as it happens, I'm looking for some guinea pi-I mean volunteers to help testing out my babies! A lot of the students at UA have been reluctant, so I thought I would take my scouting to the streets!"

"Did… she almost say guinea pigs?" Ryuji blinked, a sentiment shared by the rest of the crowd.

"You see, while I have had plenty of successes like the hover soles, some of my babies don't always work out!" Mei admitted without care, her voice conveying the same amount of emotion as before. "I need to find someone that would be willing to help me test them out in the future! I would do it myself, but risk of injury is very high and if I hurt either of my arms I wouldn't be able to make more babies, now would I?" Mei laughed, though the statement immediately sapped her audience of any energy. "I can't pay you and the chances of heavy injury, broken limbs and possible trauma are exponential. But what does that mean in the face of invention?! Please, lend me your aid so that my babies may see the light of day!"

Despite the energy put forth by Mei, much of her crowd had began to disperse, immediately losing interest in her inventions. Izuku and Ryuji stared in disbelief, unable to believe that Mei had so bluntly suggested that someone should volunteer for her projects without benefit. "... This chick is crazy…" Ryuji whispered to Izuku and Morgana, the two giving stiff but small nods in agreement.

"You two! You both seem quite interested!" Mei exclaimed, her eyes suddenly set on Ryuji and Izuku. The two jumped in surprise, both looking around and realizing that they were the only ones who remained after her big speech. "Are you interested in the advancement of my babies?!"

"A-ah, well, I mean your boots were cool and all, but-" Ryuji began, only for Mei to cut him off as she zipped up to them with surprising speed.

"You think the hover soles were cool? Just wait until you see what else I've got instore!" Mei exclaimed, her greedy grin spreading wider as she continued to close the distance between her and the two. Izuku and Ryuji held up their hands, taking small steps back to keep their distance. "Right now I have ten babies in the process of being made! Some just concepts, but others being assembled back at my lab! The wire arrow, the jet pack, the high density weights and much more! All I need is a volunteer to help me test them all out. Are you both interested?"

"W-w-well, Hatsume-san, w-we both thought your invention was amazing, but I don't think…"

"Hey, there she is!" Izuku and Ryuji blinked in shock when they heard a gruff voice, both craning their heads to see a police officer just down the road from them. "We've told you already, you're not allowed to use those devices in such a public area!"

"Well, looks like we'll have to cut our talk short!" Hatsume giggled despite her situation, quickly shoving a card into Izuku's chest. "Use that to call me if you're interested in seeing more of my sweet babies again! I'm always looking for guinea pi-volunteers!"

"You said it again!" Izuku and Ryuji blurted out, though Hatsume simply ignored them as she activated her boots before taking off, going into a manic fit of laughter as she quickly escaped several cops that gave chase. The two watched as she hovered through the alleys, giving the police no chance of catching her on foot.

"That chick… is weird." Ryuji finally said, stiffly reaching up and scratching his head awkwardly.

"It makes me wonder if all those in the support class are so eccentric…" Izuku muttered, eyes still wide as he processed the last minute of their interaction with Mei.

"Weird or not, there's no denying what she made was impressive." Morgana pointed out, a small but unmistakably mischievous smile spreading across his feline face. "You should hold onto that number of hers, Izuku. We should hold off for now, but I think we might be able to come into an arrangement with this Hatsume Mei."

"Huh?!"

 **To be continued…**

 **Hello everyone, I come baring the tidings of cheer and joy! For one, classes are over for a while! Oh yeah, and it's Christmas lol but jokes aside, I'm sure this was a rather uneventful chapter for you all. Not much going on here save for establishing some future confidants as I'm sure you could tell. While it might not be the most riveting part of the story, it's definitely necessary as I'm sure you all can understand.**

 **As you can see, Hatsume Mei has arrived on the scene! Originally I planned for her introduction a teensy bit later than this, but honestly this seemed like the perfect opportunity for her introduction. She's definitely someone who likes to be vocal and make herself known. You'll all have to see later on what kind of role she might play throughout the story :P**

 **Before I set off, I would like to do a little shout out to another story. I had been planning to do this in another story of mine, but got swept up in what I was doing and forgot. If you aren't aware, there's a story called Remnant's Bizarre Adventure: Beacon is Unbreakable by gorilla fingers. It's not a Persona or MHA crossover, but I thought it deserved some more attention. It's a crossover between RWBY and JoJo's Bizarre Adventure part 4, and is extremely well written while also having fast updates. The writer is on a short break due to holidays but will be back with another chapter at the beginning of January. Please hop on over and give his story a read when you get the chance!**

 **Another story shout out to A Different Kind of Truth by The Infamous Man. I'm sure the story is far more well known among Persona fanfic readers, but I thought I'd give it an appropriate shout out. TIM has provided me with a plethora of ideas and advice for this story and I truly appreciate his help and insight. So go on over to his story and give it a read if you haven't already!**

 **Alright, that's about it for me until the holiday is over. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and have a very Merry Christmas!**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: My Hero Academia and Persona do not belong to me.**

Chapter 13

"Alright, we're here. It's time to finally take that bastard down."

Izuku and the others didn't bother to wait any longer after acquiring their supplies for the infiltration. While it was true that they had around two weeks to deal with the problem, each member was far too fired up to put off the infiltration. Not to say that none of them were nervous, but their determination to see the teacher knocked from his high horse was enough to fuel them. Izuku unslung the bag from his shoulder, passing everyone the weapons he purchased specifically for them.

"Remember, stay aware of your health. If you get injured enough, Mona can heal you a bit or I can give you some medicine we picked up." Izuku reminded his friends, earning nods of understanding from Ryuji and Ann before turning back to the palace.

"One second. We still have one thing to address before we head inside." Morgana declared, causing his teammates to pause and look back at him. "We still haven't given our newest member a codename."

"A codename?" Ann repeated, tilting her head in question.

"Oh, right! Yeah, I guess we should do that before we get movin' through the castle, huh?" Ryuji hummed in agreement, turning back to inspect Ann. His eyes trailed from the top of her head to the rest of her body, though as his vision got lower the less focused he became on his original task. "Damn…" He muttered out, quite impressed by Ann's figure and outfit. Even if it made her look like a dominatrix, there was no denying that Ann looked completely stunning in it.

"What?" Ann asked, feeling his gaze and holding a hand over her chest.

"Huh? O-oh, nothing, just tryin' to think of a codename for you…" Ryuji cleared his throat, holding his chin in thought. "With the way your mask looks, it's definitely gotta be some kinda cat, right? What do you think?" he asked, glancing at Izuku.

"Huh?" Izuku blinked before looking at Ann. It only took two seconds before his face turned completely red, quickly trying to cover it with his hands and turn his back to the three. This had been the first time that he had seen Ann's costume while not under duress, now giving him an unhindered view of her outfit. "U-uh-I-I'm not sure! M-maybe something l-like Cheetah or Jaguar?" he suggested, doing his best not to focus on the sexier aspect of Ann's costume.

"Hey, those aren't bad suggestions." Ann smiled, deciding to dismiss his nervousness as she tried to come up with something similar. "I want something that sounds intimidating… I don't think lion or tiger would work, though…"

"What, you don't want somethin' that fits the sexy cat girl look?" Ryuji asked, raising a brow in thought.

"What-no! It's bad enough that I look like this, I want a name that sounds cool at least!" Ann snapped, looking down at her suggestive attire with a grimace. "I didn't get to choose the outfit, so I want some sort of good counter…"

"How about cougar?" Morgana suggested with a sly tone, wiggling his body at the idea.

"Definitely not!" Ann said, groaning in exasperation before holding her chin in thought. After a moment of thinking, a small smile spread across her face, snapping her fingers. "I've got it. From now on, you can call me Panther."

"That's not bad." Izuku smiled in support, though only able to look at Ann from the side as things stood.

"I guess that works. Whatever gets us going." Ryuji shrugged in acceptance, Morgana hopping up in agreement.

"Then it's settled. Welcome to the team officially, Panther. Remember to refer to us by our codenames at all times while in the palace. Blondie is called Skull, Izuku is Hero and I'm Mona. It's a precaution to keep our identities safe from the palace owner." Morgana explained before running a bit ahead and facing the group. "I think we've got a handle on the basics. Just follow my lead through the palace and I'll be sure to teach you guys more as we go!"

"Right, let's do this!" Ryuji huffed, getting pumped up as he could and following after the cat with Ann next to him. Izuku looked back up at the castle and furrowed his brow behind his mask, leveling his nerves out and breathing in.

"We can do this…" Izuku muttered to himself, gripping his hand anxiously before proceeding forward.

 ***SKREE***

Izuku stopped and quickly whipped his head around, quickly putting his guard up as he suspected an enemy had been waiting for them inside the gate. Much to his surprise though, it was a sight he wasn't expecting in the least. Standing there across from him was Justine, the serious one of the Velvet Room twins if memory served right. She stood next to an iron barred door that swung open with a loud creak.

"My master wishes to speak with you." Justine declared, watching the green haired teen expectantly. Izuku blinked, taking a moment to fully realize that this was no trick of the eyes. He looked back at his friends, wanting to call out. "They cannot see me or this door. You will simply look idle in thought to them after you have entered." Justine explained, stopping the green haired teen in his tracks.

"I… didn't realize you could come to this world, too… then again, I still know so little about you…" Izuku relented, tilting his head down in thought.

"You will learn more as you continue your rehabilitation. Now, come. It would be best not to make my master wait too long." Justine urged, though her voice was the same flat voice as usual. Izuku spared another glance back at his friends, biting his bottom lip at the inconvenient timing of the summon. But then again, he might be able to learn something that might aid them within the palace. With that thought in mind, Izuku stepped forward and walked inside the blue barred door.

* * *

Darkness enveloped Izuku, the green haired teen having to blink for a moment before the scenery started to form. The familiar jail cell surrounded him, and his phantom thief attire was now replaced with the black striped fatigues he had come to familiarize himself with every time he came to this world. Despite his previous experiences in this world, it felt rather bizarre to have come here of his own accord, while awake no less.

"The prisoner has returned!" Izuku heard Caroline announce, looking down to see both twins standing in their usual spots in front of his 'cell'. Izuku didn't bother to question how Justine was able to return before he did.

"I must applaud you. You've been able to take what I have told you to heart despite limited understanding…" Igor said, drawing Izuku's attention up to him now. "Your luck and determination in your mission certainly makes rehabilitating you worth while."

"It… just happened to work out like that." Izuku said, frowning slightly at his words. "I'm not making these bonds with people just to use them to get stronger."

"Of course. To form these bonds and progress them in power, they must be more than some artificial reason. Do not worry. Just because you gain strength from your confidants does not make your relationships any less real." Igor reassured, waving his hand in dismissal.

"I see… but still… what is the point of this 'rehabilitation'? What does it mean? And how is it supposed to stop my… certain doom?" Izuku asked, but of course only earned an amused chuckle from the large nosed being.

"It will become clear in due time. I am not withholding information that would affect you as of now. As you progress with your links to others and continue on your quest to purify the hearts of twisted men such as this king, it will be made palpable." Igor explained, though it did little to reassure Izuku. He didn't bother to ask any further on the subject, knowing that it was just a waste of his breath. The long nosed being was making it clear that he would not say anymore in that regard. "But that is not why I have brought you here, today. I brought you here to introduce the aid that we shall be providing you in your exploits."

"Aid? You can help me in the palace?" Izuku asked in surprise, earning a deep chuckle from Igor.

"Not directly, but in a helpful manner, nonetheless. As you are now aware, you possess the ability to wield several Personas. That is thanks to your potential as the wild card. With such an ability comes infinite possibilities. To do that, we must execute your Personas." Izuku widened his eyes, the tone in which Igor said so as dark as the implication. Seeing his horror, Igor simply laughed. "Do not fret. Personas are simply personalities that exist within your heart. By relinquishing the old ones, you make room for new personalities to manifest. Come, bring forth what Personas you now possess within you."

Izuku wasn't sure what he meant, but suddenly felt his body begin to heat up, grinding his teeth as he gripped the bars. Blue flames surrounded his body, three bursts exploding forth and taking shape. In front of him, Carter, Pixie and Bicorn took shape. Izuku had captured Bicorn some time after Pixie during their initial escape after saving Ann. Now, each Persona stared intently at him from the other side of his cell.

"No way… they came out on their own…" Izuku muttered, looking at the three in amazement.

"This place is different than the cognitive world and your world, remember? Many things are possible that aren't out there, inmate." Caroline reminded him, looking up at him with little patience. "Now hurry up and pick two among them."

"Huh? Pick?" Izuku repeated, raising a brow in question. "What do you mean?"

"As I said before, you must execute some Persona to make room for others. By executing two, you have the potential to make something greater than the two before. Consider it a fusion of sorts." Igor said this time, waving a hand. A card appeared above each of the Personas, a small bit of familiarity filling Izuku. "Take note of each card that belongs to your Personas. I'm sure you have noticed that they are one in the same as the cards that have appeared when forging a bond with those around you."

"Yeah… the tarot cards. Ryuji-sempai was Chariot… Morgana-san was Magician, Koto-san was Priestess and T-Tak-Ann-sempai was Lovers... " Izuku muttered, mulling over his memory to each time that strange voice whispered the oath to him.

"And I am the Fool tarot. Take note of each of these bonds, as they will be important to your progress." Igor declared, Izuku looking back up at him in question. "The deeper your bond is with those of such tarot, the greater the strength of a fusion will be depending on the resulting Persona. Now take your pick. Which Persona will be executed?"

Izuku bit his bottom lip, looking up at those in his possession. None looked disturbed or upset, likely expecting such a result from this place.

" _ **Don't mind us, kid. Do what'cha gotta to attain more power."**_ Carter spoke, slamming his fist against his chest. _**"You've got a mission to fulfill and lives to save. We'll give ourselves up if it means you fulfill that duty."**_

" _ **I'm not quite so noble as he is, but I know you will face difficult challenges soon."**_ Pixie spoke up this time, giving a sad smile to Izuku. _**"If giving our forms up to grant you strength is what you wish, we happily give it. Just be sure to summon me again when you can, okay?"**_

" _ **If Bicorn can give up self for good cause, Bicorn shall do so."**_ The green horse spoke, kicking the dirt underneath its feet. Izuku gulped, looking across the three in thought. This decision wasn't without difficulty. Each one had a personality of its own, and while Igor made it clear he wasn't technically killing them, it still made him feel uneasy. But from the way Igor and the twins looked at him, there was no refusing their fusion.

Izuku took a moment to look up at all three Personas. His eyes met with Carter, and the decision soon became clear: while the other two were as much his strength as Carter was, Carter was truly **his** Persona, one born from his soul rather than absorbed from a Shadow. "Pixie… Bicorn… I appreciate your help. Please give me more power by fusing."

" **As you wish."** They both bowed, their ethereal forms floating further back in the jail.

" _ **I guess we'll be stickin' together then, eh kid?"**_ Carter asked, the fixed smile on his face going up a bit more in understanding.

"You were my first partner. We'll become stronger together." Izuku declared, giving a determined smile to his true Persona. Carter gave a hearty laugh, nodding in acceptance.

" _ **Very well, kid. Let's show this world what we're made of."**_ With that, Carter's body reformed back into a mask, blue flames surrounding it before shooting into Izuku's chest. Izuku took a small breath and smiled before looking up at Igor and the twins.

"Okay, so how will we fuse-eh?" Izuku blinked as his eyes suddenly became wide as plates. Not far behind Igor were two large guillotines that were clearly never there before. Izuku wasn't sure how they could have fit in the small area in the first place, but it seemed like the outside of his cell had become much larger with their sudden placement.

"Don't worry, inmate. We're already on it." Caroline chuckled darkly, standing by a switch on the side of one of the guillotines. Two bodies were wiggling in fear, their heads already placed inside the hole and awaiting execution.

"W-wait! I didn't realize you were being that literal when you said you were executing them!"

"Duh! What did you think execute meant, inmate? Pay attention!" Caroline laughed cruelly as she pulled the switch without warning, the blades descending upon the two prone forms before Izuku could further argue. His jaw dropped in complete shock, but his horror was soon replaced with shock once the blades hit. Instead of a grotesque scene, the bodies were immediately converted into energy, a blue flame shooting from the guillotines and combining into one. Izuku widened his eyes as the flames took shape, a mass of green sludge forming in front of him. Red eyes peered out from the top of it with a gap spreading at the center that Izuku could easily guess was the mouth.

" _ **I am Slime. I shall bathe thy enemies in the poison of my body."**_ The sludge proclaimed, before converting into a mask like Carter had done moments before, following suit and absorbing into Izuku's chest.

"There, inmate. Was that so bad?" Caroline giggled mockingly, crossing her arms as she gave a smug smirk. "Watching you squirm like that was pretty funny, though."

"The power of that Persona is now yours. This is the result of the execution." Justine declared, no hint of amusement in her voice in contrast to her twin.

"Continue to gather more Personas like that. Bring them here and execute them and continue to unlock new powers through their birth. This process will be integral to your fight against ruin. Use it well." Igor suggested, Izuku swallowing a bit as he absorbed this information.

"We have several rituals similar to the fusion that we can perform. As you grow stronger in both spirit and in your bonds, these rituals will become less limited." Justine explained this time.

"And if you continue to develop well in your rehabilitation, we might even offer new rituals for you to use. Feel free to grovel in thanks, inmate." Caroline declared, the end of her statement causing Izuku blanch in disbelief.

"Your rehabilitation is going well, so far. Your heart is now gaining the strength of rebellion, something many would not expect in you. A rather joyous development, indeed… In celebration of your progress, I shall provide you with a gift. Something I believe will be of great use to you on your journey." Igor declared, holding up his hand as it began to glow. Izuku didn't feel anything change at first, but suddenly felt his eyes begin to ache. It felt like he had stared at the sun longer than he should have, snapping his lids shut as he groaned in irritation. But after a moment of irritation, the pain suddenly disappeared, Izuku opening his eyes and blinked away any remaining stress. He looked up at his three jailers, surprised when he saw that they were more illuminated in his site. Igor specifically was peculiar, as now a card representing the Fool arcana hovered above him. Blinking once, Izuku's vision returned to normal. "Wh-what was…"

"That is what you might call your Third Eye." Igor explained for him, smirking in amusement at his confusion. "That is a thief's skill used to see things that are hidden from normal site. A sixth sense to help you see what darkness might hide from you and what cannot normally be seen. It should be of good help to you as you progress through the palace."

Izuku widened his eyes, unsure just how to activate this sixth sense at first. But after a moment of thinking of it, his eyesight shifted back to what he saw once before. Using that same feeling, Izuku returned his view back to normal. "A-amazing… it's almost like you gave me a Quirk that taps into my sense of sight and enhances it…" looking up at Igor, Izuku couldn't help but feel appreciation, smiling at Igor despite his previous caution toward the individual. "Thank you…"

 ***SMASH***

Izuku blinked in surprise when he heard chains shatter, the Fool tarot card appearing before him with the words **RANK TWO** materialized under it. Before Izuku could question it, the card soon disappeared, his vision no longer pertrubed by the sight. "So… that's how I can tell when I develop a relationship further..?" Izuku muttered, not realizing that these confidant links would make themselves so prominent as they progressed. It definitely left it to his imagination how they trigger like this, exactly.

"Now go forth. Destroy this manifestation of a twisted heart, and show me that you have what it takes to challenge the ever approaching ruin."

Before Izuku realized it, he was back in the cognitive world. Looking down at himself, he saw that he was back in his black and red thief attire, mask firmly in place on his face. _I didn't think they'd come out to me like this. It's disorienting… but if what he said is true, I really do have something incredible to help me now…_

"Hey dude, you okay?" Izuku pulled himself from his musings, looking up at Ryuji after hearing him call out. His companions approached him, all with concern lacing their expressions. "You were just standin' there all dazed. Everything cool?"

"I was..?" Izuku muttered, blinking as he looked around at the three. _I guess what Justine-san said before is true. They didn't see me go into that place._ "Um… there's something I need to tell you guys about."

"What exactly? Is it something to be worried about?" Morgana asked curiously, tilting his head in question.

"N-no, not particularly, but..." Izuku muttered, releasing a sigh as he tried to figure out the best way to explain it. "Actually… maybe it would be better to save it for later. We have to focus on our objective and it will only sidetrack us."

"If it's important, be sure to inform us later. But if you're positive that it won't have any bearing on our current situation, then I don't mind waiting." Morgana suggested, looking at Ann and Ryuji. "Is that okay with you two?"

"If you think it can wait, I'm okay with it." Ann agreed, nodding in acceptance. "I want to take Kamoshida down as fast as possible."

"You're pretty smart, so I trust you wouldn't hold somethin' back that would affect the infiltration. Just don't leave us in the dark when this is all over, mkay?" Ryuji grinned, giving Izuku a thumbs up in approval.

Izuku smiled, nodding in appreciation. "Thank you. When this is all over, I'll be sure to tell you guys." looking back at the palace, Izuku's brow hardened with determination. "Now let's go."

* * *

"S-so please… become one of my masks!"

"... Get real, chump."

Izuku's shoulders slumped in defeat, face frowning behind his thief mask. As they had done before, the group had moved through the palace with great haste, their original infiltration route still open to them. They encountered several Shadows on their way through but nothing that the four couldn't handle. With Ann's help, they truly were able to blaze through without much difficulty compared to when they had decided to attack with only a three man team. Seeing that their chances of success were much higher now, Izuku decided to take this opportunity to gain more Personas. They had encountered over five different Shadows since their arrival, but Izuku had only been able to successfully negotiate with two of them: Silky and Jack-o-Lantern. Currently, Izuku was making an attempt to capture one of the imps that they had encountered on their first day inside the castle, but it was going with little success.

"Hey, you wanna make it outta here alive, asshole?! Just do what he says!" Ryuji snapped, cocking his shotgun and keeping it aimed at the imp.

"L-look, pal. Me and bunny ears over there just aren't compatible. It's not my fault!" The shadow argued, immediately causing Izuku to blink owlishly.

"B-bunny ears?" He muttered distraughtly.

"Bu-but here! Take my money and we'll call it even, kay?" The imp offered, placing two thousand yen on the ground for them to take. With that, the imp quickly floated away, the four watching with hesitation.

"H-hey! Damn it…" Ryuji muttered, scratching the top of his head. "Well, at least we didn't get left empty handed. Nice try though, Hero."

"Y-yeah… it looks like my negotiation skills will need a lot more work." Izuku admitted with a sigh, putting his revolver away before walking up and taking the money.

"I have to say, you're certainly being more proactive in gaining Personas. Glad to see you taking initiative." Morgana praised with a small smirk.

"Hm… what he said, though…" Ann muttered, examining Izuku with mild intrigue. Her lips twitched upward at the corner and she let out a small giggle. "I hadn't thought about it, but your mask does look like it has bunny ears, huh?"

"I-it really does?!" Izuku balked in embarrassment, cheeks flushed with embarrassment as he started to feel the top outlining of the mask.

"Now that you mention it, it kinda does." Ryuji chuckled, deciding to join in on the teasing. "I wonder what that's about."

"No, no, guys. It's not a bunny at all. I can tell because I've been to Hero's room." Morgana chuckled knowingly, looking up at Izuku with a small amount of smugness. "It's shaped like that big hero All-Might's hair."

"It… is?" Izuku muttered, blinking in surprise before going to a nearby mirror in the room they occupied. Looking at his reflection, it immediately clicked with Izuku. The way that the stuck out at the top and the curve in the eye sockets. It really did look like an outline of All-Might's top head. Sadly with little details in the mask aside from the black and white color, it did make it look similar to bunny ears.

"I think I can see that, actually…" Ann mused, taking another solid look at it now. "But how'd you guess just from what was in his room?"

"Oh, man. You guys would not believe all the stuff he-" Morgana began to say, only for Izuku to quickly run over and cover his mouth.

"W-w-we should be getting back to the task at hand, shouldn't we? We don't want to waste any time and have an enemy come in!" Izuku swiftly suggested, attempting to save himself from any further mortification from Morgana's teasing.

"Well, you're not wrong there. We should probably get goin'." Ryuji shrugged, deciding to spare Izuku some torment. "We can save it for when we get to a safe room, right?"

"Sounds good to me. The faster we get this done, the better." Ann agreed, Izuku breathing out in relief as he released Morgana. The cat shook his head vigorously in annoyance, sending a cute glare up at Izuku but saying nothing. The four moved through the door at the far end of the room they stood in. To their surprise, it didn't lead to a hallway, but another much larger room. As they entered, their gazes fell on the center of the room. It was blocked off by black bars, white pillars at several places with black goat head busts hanging from them with a large ring in their maws.

"This is pretty weird. We haven't been in a room like this before." Ryuji mumbled aloud, looking around for any guards. "Think there's somethin' important in there?"

"It wouldn't be gated off if there wasn't." Morgana drawled with a sigh, eyes narrowing as he looked around. "We should try to find a way to open it. I'm guessing it will have to do with the goat heads if there are no other options."

"So should we just go up and pull on each one, maybe?" Ann suggested, earning a hum of thought from Morgana.

"Perhaps. But maybe we should leave it up to our leader. What do you think, Hero?" Morgana declared, looking up at Izuku expectantly.

"Well, it would probably be-eh?" Izuku blinked before looking down at Morgana in question. "Leader?"

"That's right. You are our trump card, after all. Not to mention you've been the battle tactician since we started this assault. I think you should be leader." Morgana declared, a feline grin spreading across his mouth.

"B-but what about you?! You know the most about palaces." Izuku pointed out, only for Morgana to shake his head.

"I'd consider myself more of an advisor or a specialist in the field of phantom thievery. Leading seems to be your strong suit." Morgana disregarded, placing his paws on his hips.

"That works for me. You've been doin' pretty well leadin' us in so far. We'll be countin' on ya, leader!" Ryuji chuckled, giving a thumbs up of approval.

"You did set up that trap pretty well a couple of days ago. Not to mention we've been able to go through this palace pretty smoothly against enemies so far with you directing us." Ann smiled in acceptance. "I think that following you would probably be the best option for us, too."

"Y-you guys…" Izuku muttered, looking around at the three in stunned silence. He hadn't realized how much he was actually leading them so far but, thinking back on it, Morgana had taken a back seat when it came to giving orders during battle. At most he might advise on how to proceed against an enemy, but it was Izuku who was giving the orders to the others. Feeling touched by their trust, Izuku gave a nod and grinned. "I'll do my best!" He declared before looking forward. Examining each of the busts hanging from the pillars, an idea came to Izuku. _Igor's gift. I wonder if it'll work in this situation…_ Izuku closed his eyes for a moment, focusing on the Third Eye that Igor had granted him not long ago. Opening his eyes, the room seemed darker, but on the ground footprints were highlighted around the cage. Walking forward slowly, Izuku saw where the footsteps ended before going inside, leading him to one specific goat bust. Izuku reached up and pulled the ring, a chain drawing out and its eyes lighting up momentarily. A second later, the bars around the center of the room lifted up, his three companions jumping in surprise.

"Whoa, good guess! On your first try, too." Ryuji grinned, slapping Izuku on the back.

"There was no way that was a lucky guess! That looked more like skill and concentration from Hero to me." Morgana disregarded, looking up at the green haired teen in pride. "You've learned well, my apprentice. Now if only Skull were able to catch up to your progress."

"Hey!" Ryuji indignantly grunted, sticking his bottom lip out in annoyance.

"Hey, come look at this." Ann called out, having ignored the two as she approached the table previously locked away by the bars. "Looks like a map of the palace."

"That's it? I was expecting somethin' worthwhile for it to be locked up like that…" Ryuji complained, stomping up to the table alongside Izuku and Morgana.

"You're hopeless. Don't you realize how vital a map is to our mission?" Morgana said, shaking his head in disappointment. "Now that we have this, we don't have to wander around so aimlessly hoping to come across the palace Treasure. Not to mention we have a better look at the layout."

"Actually, we might need another piece." Izuku declared, having taken a look at the map for himself. "The treasure isn't labeled on here. Plus, it looks like we're missing some of the pages for the rest of the palace. This only covers up to the first couple floors. Judging from the size of the palace, we should still have two more floors to climb…"

"Oh, I see. That's a shame, but at least we've got ourselves covered for a good portion of the castle." Morgana hummed, hopping up to the table and rubbing his chin as he examined the map pieces in their possession.

"Considering this half was locked off, we can at least count on the next half being secured somewhere too." Ann suggested, earning a nod of agreement from Ryuji.

"All we gotta do is keep an eye out for some shady room or sealed off place. Shouldn't be too hard to come across the second half." Ryuji added, trying to be as positive as he could about their missing map pieces.

"Even though it's not complete, we can navigate pretty far with what we have." Izuku declared, examining the maps closely as he tried to determine their next route. "... Okay, from what I can see, we're in this room here, so…" Izuku muttered, pointing to a small spot lining their location. "We want to get higher, so we'll take the door on the right end." Izuku pointed out, looking up from the map and nodding to the others. "Let's go."

"Yeah." The others said in acceptance, following after their newly dubbed leader. The door they walked through led to another long hallway, Izuku quickly hopping behind a chair for cover as he scanned the red velvet hall for any Shadows nearby. It was a bit of a surprise to find it empty of enemies, though Izuku knew better than to relax. _Shadows have popped out of nowhere before. We can't let our guard down no matter what. But getting too paranoid to move quickly won't help either._ Waiting a moment longer, Izuku motioned back to the others, getting up and leading them forward again. Reaching the end of the hall, Izuku pushed open another door that lead them to scaffolding overlooking the main hall.

Pulling out the map again, Izuku looked at their current path. "If we want to follow the beaten path to the opposite end of the hall, we'll have to take the path on our left…" Izuku declared before looking around the room. "But that would be a long ring just to get to that side of the room… is that really the only way over?" He mumbled, looking back at the others.

"Well unless you wanna hop around on the chandelier or somethin', probably." Ryuji joked a bit, looking up at the incredibly large light fixtures. Everyone followed his line of sight, their faces lighting up in realization.

"Well… they are actually large enough for us to walk on…" Izuku reasoned, holding his chin in thought.

"W-wait, seriously?! Dude, I've always wanted to do somethin' like that…" Ryuji muttered, shocked that his previous joke had been taken more serious.

"Not a bad idea, Skull. And here I thought you wouldn't be able to think something like this through." Ann complimented while also teasing the faux blond.

"I guess even guys like Skull can have some decent insight now and again." Morgana chuckled, Ryuji glaring at the two indignantly.

"Come on, we can get up to the chandelier from here!" Izuku called out, moving toward the end of the hallway closest to them. Against the wall was a heavy bookshelf, which Izuku quickly tested the stability of. He was barely able to budge it from its position, smiling as he realized it was strong enough to hold them. With a quick hop, Izuku jumped on the shelf first. It didn't even move, giving him confidence it could hold the rest of them. He quickly moved out of the way for the others, wasting no time before moving to the edge closest to the grand fixtures hanging from the ceiling. "This could be dangerous despite how big they are, so I'll go first…" Izuku told the others, swallowing a bit before making a quick leap forward. The chandelier shook far less than Izuku was expecting, though that was a good thing. It was going to hold their weight. "It's safe. Come on."

"Gotcha." Ryuji called out, quickly hopping up after him. Ann quickly followed and Morgana straight behind her.

"This is both amazing and terrifying at the same time…" Ann said with a nervous chuckle, looking over the edge of the chandelier to see the distance between them and the floor. It would likely be more than painful if they were to fall from this height.

"Don't worry, Panther. I'll be sure to catch you if you fall." Morgana said puffing up his chest, trying to seem more manly in doing so.

"Yeah, right. You'd probably fall off with her." Ryuji snickered, rolling his eyes at the cat's attempt at bravado.

"Come on guys, stay focused. We don't want to make a mistake while we're moving from each fixture." Izuku reminded them, causing the three to go silent in embarrassment. Izuku was right, of course. One small slip up on the fixture, and they could end up falling straight into the hall. Izuku made another jump to the next fixture, grabbing the chain and standing near the center. "Come on, almost there!"

Ryuji quickly followed suit, taking a small breath of relief after landing safely. "Alright, next up!" He called out. Izuku took a step back to give them room but suddenly froze as he felt a shiver go up his spine. He cranked his head to the side, watching as the familiar black ooze spouted from the fixture only steps away, a golden armored knight taking shape.

"Sh-shit, don't jump yet!" Izuku ordered, quickly reaching the back of his coat and pulling out his staff.

"We knew you rats would come crawling up here! It's time for you to be exterminated!" The guard roared in anger, quickly swinging its blade down at Izuku. The green haired teen ground his teeth as he blocked the blade with his staff, the impact shaking his whole body as well as the chandelier he stood on. Ann had jumped during the quick exchange without realizing what had happened, the sudden trembling of the fixture causing her to lose her footing on the edge of the chandelier.

" **WAH~!** "

"Panther!" Ryuji cried out, acting on instinct and reaching forward, quickly grasping her arm and pulling her back toward him and catching her in his arms.

"Get… back…!" Izuku growled out, sweat pouring down his face as he summoned every ounce of his strength and pushed against the golden guard, quickly following up with a straight strike to its midsection in hope of knocking it off the chandelier. Unfortunately, while pushed back, it was able to stabilize its position before it could fall off the edge.

"A shadow came out even up here?!" Morgana snarled, quickly hopping after Ann and jumping to her side. "Are you alright, Panther?!"

"Yeah, though that was pretty close…" Ann admitted, taking a breath to calm her nerves, eyes now focusing on the Shadow. "Thanks for the save Skull. Now let's pay this guy back."

"Sounds good to me. I was just havin' fun jumping around on these things, too." Ryuji chuckled, getting up with a mischievous grin as he pulled out his pipe and got ready.

"Damn it, I won't let Skull of all people outdo me!" Morgana hissed out, quickly drawing his scimitar.

"I'll blast you all of so that you can paint the floors in your blood for King Kamoshida!" The guard growled before its body swallowed into the black ooze, a much larger figure taking shape. It hovered in the air, now in the form of an unfamiliar shadow to the group. It wore chainmail and old armor, though its body was proportioned in the correct way. Crimson wings stuck out of its back, and its face was dark with faintly glowing blue eyes.

"Careful, guys. This Shadow isn't like any we've faced so far!" Morgana warned, the four quickly taking defensive stances and raising their weapons.

Izuku immediately went for his mask, pulling it from his face and summoning his main Persona. "Carter! Kouha!" Izuku commanded, motioning his hand forward. A ball of light formed in his porcelain white hands, Carter quickly lashing out with a mighty toss. Much to his shock though, the blast did nothing, fading off the armor of the knight without budging an inch. "Sh-shit, it's immune to bless attacks!" Izuku proclaimed.

"Pathetic whelp!" The Shadow roared, quickly swinging its sword around at Izuku. The green haired teen barely raised his staff in time to block, sparing himself from being cleaved in half but being launched from the fixture. Izuku let out a cry, quickly reaching out and grabbing the edge of the next light fixture over before he could fall to his death.

"Hero!" Ryuji cried out in fear, Izuku's quick save only giving him a small amount of relief before it quickly shifted to anger. "You bastard. I'll make you pay for that! Captain Kidd!" The pirate Persona bursted from blue flames, pointing its cannon forward and launching a volley of lightning. Unlike the bless attack, the electricity was most effective, causing the Shadow to groan in pain as it was temporarily caught in a state of static shock. "Go help Hero up! I got this!"

"O-on it!" Panther agreed, quickly running around the Shadow and jumping to the next chandelier. Izuku was hanging by one hand, struggling to get his opposite arm up to a secure part of the edge. Ann quickly reached down, grabbing the arm gripping the fixture. "I've got you! Bring your other arm up!"

Izuku felt Ann struggling to lift him up from his one arm, but her assistance gave him the leverage he needed to swing his arm around to a more comfortable spot. "Thanks… it looks like the Shadow is weak to electric attacks… we'll need to exploit that as much as possible." Izuku huffed out, trying to strategize even before being fully pulled up.

"You want some more, asshole?! Take this!" Ryuji growled out again, Captain Kidd launching another blast of lightning at the Shadow. The dark angelic feature let out another roar of pain but pushed through the electricity, its shining eyes narrowing at Ryuji in fury.

"Such attacks may hurt… but do not sway my loyalty to King Kamoshida!" It declared, weakly raising its sword and slashing at Ryuji. The Persona user was taken off guard, Captain Kidd barely covering him up with its arms as the attack slammed into its side. Ryuji was safe from any fatal damage, but the faux blond was nonetheless hurt by the slash, knocking back into the rail of the chandelier.

"Skull!" Morgana cried out in shock before glaring, quickly hopping in front of Ryuji defensively. "Don't think you can count me out too, Shadow. Come forth, Zorro!" Morgana ordered, the black masked being forming above him and swinging its undersized rapier between its fingers. A gale of wind blasted the angelic knight, causing it to stumble back a bit but hover back in place, only given some moderate damage. "Damn it, it's not strong enough! This guy is tough!"

"We need to get over there!" Ann cried out in worry, preparing to jump back until Izuku stopped her in her tracks, quickly grabbing her arm.

"No, wait!" Izuku spared an analytical gaze up at the light fixture, grinding his teeth before looking back at Ann. "I-I have an idea! Skull, Mona! Make your way over here!"

"You wanna run?" Ryuji asked with strain, lifting himself up by the rail. "This guy'll just follow after!"

"Trust me, I'll make sure he doesn't! Jump over here before he goes in for another attack! Panther, hit it with some fire!" Izuku ordered, reaching up and pulling off his mask. This time it was Slime that appeared above him, the blob opening its mouth for an attack. "Zio!"

"Dance, Carmen!" Ann lashed out with her own Persona, the two attacks blazing forth and slamming into the Shadow. While the fire alone might not have yielded much in result, combined with the electricity, it was enough to make the angelic knight fall back, hand reaching out and grabbing the chain suspending the fixture.

"Quick, while it's hurt let's go!" Morgana suggested, quickly casting Dia and restoring energy to Ryuji and taking away a majority of pain he felt after the previous attack. Ryuji quickly stumbled up to his feet, not wasting any time as he followed the cat to an opening in the fixture's rails. Both jumped across, Ann standing by and making sure the two landed safely by their side.

"Y-you will not escape King Kamoshida's divine judgement, y-you rats…" The Shadow spat in pain, using the chain to hoist itself up, spreading its wings as it prepared to take flight after them.

"Skull, together! Let's finish him off!" Izuku called out, the punk quickly rushing to his side. Both removed their masks, Slime and Captain Kidd materializing into existence again.

"Get wrecked!" Ryuji growled out, the two Personas unleashing synced blasts of electricity into the Shadow. This time, the blast shocked it to its very core, the chain it held onto causing the metal around it to spark and magnify the strength of the electricity's effect on its body. As smoke started to rise from its body, the Shadow finally let out one last death rattle before dispersing into ooze, the creature disappearing completely as the electricity surging through the fixture died down. The four hesitate for a moment, their bodies tense in paranoia for a moment before finally relaxing. Izuku and Ryuji fell on their butts, the two taking bated breaths.

"Geez… that guy was damn tough. Took a few hits before goin' down." Ryuji said, shooting Izuku an impressed smile. "Nice thinkin' with the chandelier, though. Guy never saw it comin'."

"I'm glad we were able to finish him off when we did. Trying to fight on top of these fixtures while he can fly would make things really difficult." Izuku admitted with relief, sparing a glance of concern Ryuji's way. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, not too bad. Mona patched me up quick so it doesn't hurt too bad." Ryuji explained, earning a nod of acceptance from Izuku.

"That was pretty scary. I wouldn't have thought we'd run into those things up here." Ann sighed, rubbing her arm in concern. "I'm glad you're both okay, though. That thing was strong."

"Shadows are going to get stronger as we keep progressing. In a normal circumstance we probably could have handled it better, but all the more reason to keep our guard up." Morgana pointed out, looking down with a bit of shame. "I'll admit though, I hadn't predicted such a spot for the encounter. The Shadows are a bit smarter than I thought, I suppose."

"Well, no one was seriously hurt, so let's stay positive." Izuku reasoned, pushing off the surface of the fixture to stand up. "So long as we stay aware of our surroundings, I'm sure we won't get caught off guard like that again. We should keep making a push through before any more show up. Hopefully a safe room is close by so we can take a breather."

"Yeah, good point. As far as we know, there's more just waitin' around the corner." Ryuji agreed, standing up and rolling his shoulder. "I'm ready when you are. Let's keep goin'." Morgana and Ann nodded in acceptance, the four hopping to the next platform before continuing through the castle.

* * *

"Hey, Hero. Why'd you grab these books again?"

It had been some time since their encounter with the Shadow on the chandeliers. After locating a safe room, the four had taken a small respite, filling up on their snacks and drinks for energy before pushing forward. The Shadows had increased in strength as Morgana had said, but the team was far more prepared this time. Even with the growing difficulty, Izuku had been able to direct them systematically. When it was a Shadow they had previously encountered, he immediately went for their known weaknesses and had the rest of the team follow up. When it was an enemy they were unfamiliar with, he would make them disperse to give it no clear target while they blasted it until they found its weakness. It was simple but effective, and had yielded the best results.

The four were now pushing through a more unique corridor than what they had walked through up to this point. The hall winded with several rooms and was guarded by a few Shadows. At the end of the hall was a door that was blocked off by bars with the same goat figurine head next to it. It was easy to determine that they had another puzzle to solve by looking through the nearby rooms. Before even entering any of the rooms though, Izuku made sure that they had dealt with all of the Shadows in their way beforehand should they encounter one in a room. He'd rather cut them down now rather than be taken from behind during a another battle.

"There was something about these books that just stood out…" Izuku said, humming as he looked down at the three books in hand. They were respectively labeled the 'King's Book', the 'Queen's Book' and the 'Slave Book'. While nothing outwardly stood out about them that most could see, they had ignited with blue aura when Izuku had spied them out with his Third Eye. He wasn't sure what that meant, but guessed it made them important enough to carry. "Considering that our next route is locked off, it's better to be prepared for possible ways to open it up. I'm guessing its part of some puzzle."

"I agree with Hero on this. You never know what kind of safelocks that the palace ruler will have. Even if they want to keep something safe, they still need to be able to access it for themselves." Morgana suggested in agreement.

"It's so weird to think that this is still the school, though. It just seems so much bigger by comparison." Ann commented offhandedly, eyes scanning her surroundings curiously.

"Stop." Izuku ordered, causing the three to halt behind him as Izuku arrived at another door. He slowly twisted the knob and pushed it open, eyes searching for any enemies within. Seeing nothing in sight, Izuku cautiously walked in, now taking in his surroundings. "Bingo." He muttered with a small smile, realizing that his theory was now much more likely to be correct. While the other rooms in this corridor had bookshelves, this one in particular could be considered a library, the walls completely shrouded by books.

"Damn… you really hit the nail on the head, huh?" Ryuji muttered, scratching his head as he looked around the room.

"Okay, everyone. Look around the shelves and look for gaps between the books and titles related to the books we have." Izuku suggested, earning nods of acceptance from his teammates as they dispersed. Izuku quickly scanned the north wall, immediately spotting a small dent in one of the shelves. Scanning the spines of each book, Izuku began to read the title aloud. "'The Great Kamoshida's Law', 'The Great Kamoshida's Trials', 'The Great Kamoshida's Wisdom'... talk about narcissistic. But judging from all of that, I'm guessing this one fits in…" Izuku guessed, pulling the 'King's Book' out and placing it in the shelf.

"Hey, I got one." Ryuji called out, Izuku quickly making his way over to the faux blond. Ryuji was currently glaring at the books, his own anger boiling over. "Its got the names of all the volleyball players on these ones. Hell, there are a bunch of boys from our school on here outside of them, too. Even puts some messed up titles next to them. 'Mishima: the Useless Punching Bag'. What the eff, man..?"

"'Ryuji: the Vulgar Ape'. Found you, Skull." Morgana pointed out, causing the faux blond to blink owlishly as the cat pointed to a book with his paw.

"Oh, that piece of shit!"

"Well, considering how he was hurting them in the dungeon, it's safe to assume they're the 'Slaves Book'." Izuku easily guessed, sighing as he shelved the book into the right place.

"Found where the Queen Book needs to go." Ann called out, her voice hiding little disdain. The three quickly joined her, the twin tailed blonde glaring up at the shelf from behind her mask. "Shiho's name is on one of these books… 'Suzui: The Meager Replacement'. That son of a bitch…" Ann growled in anger, fist gripping white at her side in disgust.

"'Ann: the Charming Doll'. Holy shit…" Ryuji muttered, holding a hand up to his mouth.

"The more we dive into Kamoshida's mind, the more disgusting he becomes." Izuku said, trying to maintain his own composure as he walked up to the bookshelf and placed the final book in. A lock suddenly ticked, the four looking around to see two of the shelves suddenly part at the center, revealing a hidden room.

"Jackpot. Way to keep an insightful eye, Hero." Morgana smiled, patting his leg in reassurance. The four didn't hesitate, walking into the hidden room and examining it closely. As they quickly noted though, there were photos scattered around on the ground. Candles surrounded a rack at the front of the room almost like a shrine.

"This is…" Izuku mumbled, his face paling as he saw the closest photo nearby.

"These are… pictures of Shiho…" Ann said quietly, kneeling down and picking up a photo with a trembling hand.

"They're all pics of her." Ryuji pointed out, taking a closer look at the wall that was riddled with her photos. Izuku didn't dare look closely at them, biting his bottom lip as he averted his eyes to what lie in front of him. Ann dropped the photo in her hand, rubbing her arm uncomfortably.

"Are you two okay?" Morgana asked in concern, bringing their attention away from the room. "I know this might be difficult to say, but we should look around. Considering the security locking it off, I'm sure there's more to this room than just a disgusting shrine."

Izuku took a deep breath and nodded before looking at Ann with concern. "Are you okay? I… I'm sure this is even more difficult for you than anyone."

"Yeah… yeah, I'm okay." Ann nodded in reassurance, straightening her posture and glaring. "If anything, this just motivates me more. We'll make him pay for this."

"Hey, guys! There's another room over here!" Ryuji called out, pulling their attention away from the disgusting scenery for a moment. Ryuji was just past the shrine on the left, revealing there to be another space within the secret room. The three moved to join him, blinking in surprise as they arrived.

"This is… different." Morgana stated in wonder, the three looking around them in confusion. Unlike most of the castle beforehand, this room was notably very different. Most of Kamoshida's cognition had been heavily focused on either himself or how he views the students of Shujin Academy. But this was related to neither as far as they could tell. Hanging from the ceiling by a noose was a straw made dummy. On its body was a blue and white sports uniform. It had knives sticking out of its body, likely used for personal venting of stress. Behind it, paint had been hastily brushed across the wall, spelling out many curses and profanities. All directed at one source. The most notable took up a good percentage of the wall, the doll hanging between the words.

 **FUCK UA!**

"This is… outta left field." Ryuji muttered, scratching the back of his head. "I mean, up until now, it's been nothin' but shit about himself and the students. But he's also harboring' some hate toward that hero training school? What even for?"

"That does seem strange. Unlike the rest of his cognition, this seems to be one sitting in the back of his mind by comparison to the others." Morgana hummed in thought, putting a paw to his chin. "I don't know much about this UA, so you guys will have to fill me in a bit."

"UA's the biggest hero training school in Japan. It's been home to a good number of the world's top revered heroes. All-Might himself went there." Izuku explained for him, his earlier anger now simmered over and replaced with mild curiosity. "Still… what does that have to do with Kamoshida? And why is it such a small part of his cognition?"

"Hey guys, look." Ann pointed out, the three following her line of sight to a pedestal that sat just below the doll against the wall. The four jogged up, finding another section of their map sitting there with a medallion resting above it.

"Oh, awesome! Now we got the whole thing, right?!" Ryuji asked, looking over Morgana and Izuku's shoulder as they inspected the map pieces.

"It looks like it. Judging from the map, we're about halfway to the treasure. It's even marked right here." Morgana declared, pointing out the marked spot on the last page. "As we figured, it's in the highest tower. We've got a bit of a ways to go, but with the map we can at least know where to go."

"Dope! Then let's get goin' and finish this up! I wanna make him pay as soon as possible!" Ryuji rumbled out with excitement, grinning at his teammates.

"Hold on. We should pace ourselves a bit. Now that we know how much we have left, we have to make sure we have enough energy to cover so much ground. If we get over excited and expend too much stamina, we won't be able to finish this up today." Morgana advised, trying to get Ryuji to calm down.

"What are you looking at, Panther?" Izuku suddenly asked, distracting the two from their conversation to look at the twin tailed blonde. She was currently looking at some newspaper in hand, turning back to the three with a bit of concern.

"This was on the pedestal with the other stuff… it's kind of strange. I think it's an actual newspaper. Look." Ann explained, handing the article over to Izuku to look at, Morgana and Ryuji peeking behind him to get a look for themselves. The main article had a picture of some UA student that none of them recognized titled 'UA Sports Festival Steals Show Yet Again'. Drawn around it was a black marker circle outlining to a furiously written sentence. **Complete Bullshit!**

"This is so strange… why does he hate UA so much?" Izuku mumbled mostly to himself. He then noticed a page of the the newspaper had been folded back further in, flipping to it to find if it was a mistake or intentional. After turning five pages in, it became obvious that it was on purpose, black marker traced through another article. In big letters above the circled article was written **Son of a bitch!** "Japanese volleyball team takes home Olympic gold medal… Oh right, you said that Kamoshida won a gold medal before, right?" Izuku asked, looking back at Ryuji.

"Yeah. Lookin' at the picture, that looks like Kamoshida too." Ryuji hummed, the four examining it closer. "But what's he so pissed about if he made it in the papers? Shouldn't he have been happy?"

"No, this… actually makes sense." Izuku declared, holding his chin in thought. "After Quirks became so integrated with society, the UA Sports Festival became extremely popular. From what I've heard, it's become the world's top leading sports event in the past few decades. I'm guessing that the reason Kamoshida hates UA so much is because it completely undermined his achievement. No one cares as much for our olympic sports teams since Quirks are prohibited from use."

"Oh… I think I get it." Ann hummed in understanding. "Kamoshida wanted it to be some major achievement. But because everyone's so focused on the UA thing, it barely looks like a blip on the radar by comparison."

"The UA Sports Festival stole his spotlight. Because of that, he resents it and its students, I guess." Izuku said, turning his attention back to the wall and the profanities scratched into it.

"But if that's the case, why's it so buried in here? He pretty much wears everything on his shoulder in this place." Ryuji mused curiously, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Probably the same reason the real Kamoshida doesn't talk about it or make a big deal." Izuku spoke again, narrowing his eyes at the doll. "It's because its outside of his control. Since this is based off cognition, it's still limited to what Kamoshida thinks he can do. No matter how much he hates UA, there's nothing he can do to the school itself or its students. So he has to silently seeth with hatred for it in secret. Both in real life and in this castle."

"That… sounds pretty on the mark, if you ask me." Morgana hummed, placing a paw on his chin. "You've come to understand the workings of a palace fairly well. I have no doubt that your theory is correct."

"Heh, this actually makes me pretty happy." Ryuji smirked behind his mask, the other three looking at him in question. "This bastard has somethin' way above his head that he can't do nothin' about. Definitely gives me ideas for taunting the bastard with."

"You should probably hold off on any further attempts to antagonize him considering the position you and Hero are in currently." Morgana suggested, looking back up at Izuku. "Speaking of which, I think we've spent long enough in here. We should get going if you guys plan on completing our infiltration route by the end of the day."

"O-oh, right. Everyone, let's get going. We have a map and an item that's likely for the gated door. We'll wait until the next safe room before we relax." Izuku suggested, earning nods of agreement from the rest of the team, the four departing from the secret room. Izuku spared one last glance at the doll of UA, mixed feelings rising up in him as he gazed back. Oddly enough, none of those emotions were directed at Kamoshida. They were merely regrets over his missed opportunity. Having been unable to pursue his true dream by going to UA Academy. It was strange that such feelings might surface from such a simple and unrelated place. But those regrets ever sat at the back of his mind.

 _No. It's okay._ Izuku shook his head furiously, brow hardening as he focused back forward and on his objective. _If I wasn't going to Shujin right now, then who knows how long Kamoshida would still be torturing everyone? How much Suzui-sempai, Ryuji-sempai and Ann-sempai would be suffering? Even if by the end of this I go to jail… at least I can at least be happy knowing that I saved people. Especially my friends. I'm not going to regret where I am anymore. I'm going to make the best of it until the end._

 **To be continued…**

 **Phew, finally got this finished up! I have to say, these past few weeks have been a bit emotionally stressful. Holidays sort of do that to you, but it was also because of my annoying college schedule I was attempting to work on. In the end, I won't even be taking classes this semester :/ Oh well, it's not all bad. In fact, that means I can focus on my stories a lot more before next semester starts and I begin taking 4 classes instead of 2 like I have been. Regardless, this process has been annoying.**

 **Anyway, about the chapter and the dungeon crawling. I will admit that this was something I was struggling a bit with. I wasn't sure what to focus the most on and what the most appropriate amount of the original dungeon to keep and exclude. There was obviously no way I was going to write out so many random fights and encounters. So I decided to use what I thought was both a mix of action and a bit of exposition. I hope that what I have written of this dungeon crawling was good. And for those worried about how much I'll keep writing about this aspect, do not worry. This is pretty much all of it. Next chapter will likely be the finale of the Kamoshida Castle.**

 **Well, I hope you all enjoyed that chapter, please remember to leave a review, a follow and/or a favorite for me! It's greatly appreciated!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I own neither My Hero Academia or Persona**

Chapter 14

The trek through the second half of the castle had increased in difficulty as Morgana had said. Sports drinks and medicine couldn't keep their stamina up through the entire palace, the four having to expend more and more energy with each enemy they encountered. Close to three fourths of the way in, Izuku made the decision to pull the team out for the night. With their timeline already established, Izuku thought that waiting another couple days wouldn't do them any harm. With their mounting exhaustion, none of the others complained when Izuku suggested the next day be spent resting before tackling it one once again the coming day.

With the four fully charged and ready to go back in the day after, Izuku and the gang blazed a path through the castle from the route they had secured. Now that they knew their way around through most of the palace, they had been able to avoid a great deal of shadows, helping to conserve their energy for the much larger threats waiting for them closer to the treasure. Their final path led them to an extremely warped room, the floor collapsed in several areas but stairs constantly forming for them as they moved around. After slaying several golden armored Shadows, the only remaining path was now open to them. But one enemy remained in their way, the last golden knight patrolling the area.

"You four shall not pass through here! This is the king's most sacred place!" The shadow proclaimed, pointing its blade at them in disdain. "This tower was erected to show King Kamoshida's might to the world! To tower over all those beneath him. And you shall all pay for even thinking of setting foot in his most sacred throne!"

"Kamoshida's the one who's going to pay, asshole! So shut up and-" Ann began to snap at the Shadow before it suddenly transformed, the black ooze enveloping the armor before exploding out. Much to her shock and disgust, this Shadow was not like any other they had encountered before. It looked similar to Izuku's Persona Slime when it came to body composition and size, but its head was rather… unique. Unique as in it, putting it bluntly, looked like the head of a penis. The mouth sitting blow the head only served to make it look more disgusting.

"Oh my god, that's **gross**!" Ann blurted out, taking several steps back in pure fear of just being touched by it.

"Hey, focus Panther! It's not that…" Ryuji tried to remind her before getting a good look for himself. Grimacing, the faux blond suddenly realized just how nasty the Shadow truly was. "O-okay, yeah. You're right. That's pretty gnarly…"

"Be careful! It's different than anything we've fought before, so its likely stronger!" Izuku reminded them, doing his best to keep his head in the game and not let the grotesque Shadow distract him.

"Watch out, it's coming!" Morgana warned as the slimy Shadow began to make its approach.

"Dude, phrasing!"

The Shadow lunged with surprising speed at the four, flinging its whole body forward in hopes of smashing its weight against them. Despite their minor distraction, all four were able to dodge in time, though if Ann could she would just keep running away. But knowing that it was the last obstacle in their path to the treasure, Ann quickly regained her resolve. Taking an offensive stance, Panther quickly pulled her mask away.

"Burn it with fire, Carmen! Make it disappear!" Ann roared, using her disgust as a driving point in hopes of destroying it. Her Persona let flames dance in its hands, Carmen quickly lashing out with Agi and igniting the Shadow in flame. Much to Ann's shock, the Shadow only recoiled a bit from her attack. From the look of it, very little damage was done.

"Its resistant to fire! Panther, back away and provide support for now!" Izuku quickly ordered, pulling his mask off and summoning Carter above him. Ann quickly obeyed, having no problem with putting distance between her and the Shadow. "Shine your light! Kouha!"

"Bust that bastard, Captain Kidd!" Ryuji roared out, joining in on the attack. Aiming its cannon forward, his Persona unleashed a volley of lightning upon the grotesque Shadow. Their attacks both hit at the same time, doing a bit of damage each but neither attacks making any noticable dents against it.

"This Shadow is tough! It's resisting all of the elemental damage so far!" Morgana exclaimed in warning, summoning Zorro to test his theory. Swinging the rapier between its fingers, the Persona lashed out with a gust of wind. Like before, the Shadow seemed to only be mildly inconvenienced by the attack, roaring in irritation as it turned its attention toward Ann.

"I'll swallow you whole!" It said, shaking its slimy body before lurching forward at her.

" **Aaaah~!** " Ann cried out in fear, terrified by the fact that it was singling her out. Before it could go any further, Captain Kidd came sailing in, smashing the front end of its boat straight into the slime. This seemed to work well, this time knocking the Shadow off balance before it could approach Ann any closer than it had.

"Looks like we'll just have to pound on it with physical attacks! Agh, I can't believe I just said that… not to mention I don't wanna touch it either." Ryuji groaned out, quickly stepping up beside Ann. The twin tailed blonde took a small step back so that she was behind Ryuji, ready to use him as a shield should it make another attempt.

"Your pitiful attacks are useless…" The slime croaked in irritation as it readjusted its malformed body. "Against the greatness that is Kamoshida, you will all fall to your knees!"

"Smash!" Izuku cried out, causing the Shadow to crank its body to the side toward him. Carter held one arm out forward with the other gripping the forearm, its middle finger bent forward and held back by its thumb. In one quick flick, the Persona let out a powerful shockwave that blasted against the Shadow's body, sending it tumbling back again.

"Nice shot! That definitely did some damage!" Morgana praised, jumping up next to him. To his surprise, Izuku was letting out heavy breaths, sweat dripping down his brow. "Are you alright?"

"Y-yeah… it's nothing. Carter's physical attacks are strong, but they take a lot of energy. It's why I'll usually use Kouha instead of his physical moves." Izuku explained, having examined what his Persona was capable of. Thanks to the aid of the Velvet Room, he was able to examine the capabilities of his Personas with greater detail than before.

"I see. Well, be prepared to use a bit more because it doesn't look like it's over yet." Morgana pointed out, drawing the green haired teen's attention up to their enemy. The slime struggled to form fully for a moment before straightening its body. It let out a loud roar before flinging itself forward. Ryuji and Ann cried out in fear, the two quickly jumping out of the way as it aimed specifically for the twin tailed blonde.

"Why does he keep going after me?!" Ann cried out, crocodile tears streaming down her face as she scurried to her feet.

"I would make a guess, but you'd probably hit me." Ryuji joked with hesitation, keeping his attention on the Shadow despite his words.

"Get ready for another attack, Hero. We'll see how much damage it can take." Morgana suggested, summoning Zorro and casting dia, giving Izuku a fair amount of his spent energy back.

Izuku looked up at their enemy before scanning the room. _We could keep hitting it with everything we've got, but its taking a lot of damage without looking ready to fall. Have to find another way around that. Think of something to exploit…_ Izuku mused in thought, trying to come up with a plan. Finally, his eyes landed on one of the perversely shaped pillars modeled after the girls of their school in their gym uniforms. A light bulb went off in his head, a grin forming on Izuku's face.

"Panther! Keep drawing his attention!" Izuku called out, pointing to his right. "Bring him ten meters to the right!"

"Do I have to?!" Ann asked, grimacing as she looked at the Shadow for a moment with no small amount of disgust. Shaking her head furiously, Ann reminded herself of her mission and that her leader knew what he was doing. "O-okay, I'll do it!" Ann nodded, quickly sprinting forward to run past the gelatinous creature. The Shadow croaked in irritation, making an attempt to lunge for Ann again.

"Skull, Mona! Keep it off of her!" Izuku called out, his two teammates already on the move.

"Don't you dare try to approach Panther with that disturbing body of yours!" Morgana growled out, slicing the Shadow across what one might call the face. Ryuji let out a huff as he brought the metal pipe around, smashing it across the top of its strangely shaped head. It recoiled a bit from their attacks, growling in displeasure as it became weary of the two.

Ann skidded against the ground as she came to a stop, turning her attention back to the Shadow. "Alright, I'm here! Now what?!"

"Skull, Mona! Let it through! I need to get it directly under!" Izuku said, Carter appearing above him once more. "Panther, don't move until the very last second! I need him in the right spot to make this work!"

"I'm putting a lot of trust in you here, Hero! Don't let me down!" Ann exclaimed, biting her bottom lip before pulling her whip out. "Hey, ugly! Come here! I'm waiting for you!" she shouted, whipping the ground in front of her to antagonize it. Morgana and Ryuji quickly moved away, the Shadow looking around in confusion before focusing on Ann again. Whatever semblance of reason it might have had before transforming seemed to be gone by now, the Shadow's body trembling with excitement as it let out a roar. It flung itself forward once again, tempting Ann to make a break for it already. But doing as Izuku instructed, she waited until the monstrosity was much closer, knees bent as she prepared to move.

"Now, Panther! Move!" Izuku ordered. Ann didn't have to be told twice, quickly launching herself out of the way as the Shadow made an almost desperate pounce at her. It landed with a thud where she once stood, Izuku grinning at the execution. "Perfect! Now, **Smash~**!" Carter quickly followed his instructions, the Persona unleashing another powerful flick of its hand and releasing a shockwave. It blasted the Shadow right in the center, causing it to cry out in pain as it was sent flying back. The blob impacted against the pillar, immediately causing it to crack at the base. It didn't take long for the pillar to begin to collapse, falling forward and straight on top of the Shadow. It let out a single cry of fear as the marble started to pummel it into the ground, the unmistakable black ooze exploding as the Shadow was destroyed under its weight.

The four waited a moment for any sign of movement or sound of struggle. When it was clear to them that the Shadow had been disposed, they each breathed out in relief, Ann the most thankful of them all to be done with their disgusting opponent. "I am so done with this place…" She grumbled, leaning on her knees as she considered whether or not to barf.

"Good job, everyone. I think that was our last obstacle. The treasure should be just up ahead." Morgana declared, giving his pawed version of a thumbs up.

"Effin' finally. Time to see what this whole fuss has been about." Ryuji sighed in relief, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he and Ann walked over to Izuku and Morgana. The four moved on from there, moving to the spot they had suspected would start to form their path. As Izuku moved forward, steps began to form in front of him. Nodding back to the three, he continued onward and moved up the constantly building stairs until reaching the door that sat atop the room. Izuku pushed them open, now revealing another flight of steps, eliciting a tired groan from Ryuji and Ann.

"I am gettin' real sick of climbin' stairs…" The faux blond complained, scratching his head in frustration.

"I really wish there was a safe room close by right about now…" Ann whined, feeling weariness in her own legs.

"Come on, everyone. Its only one more push and we should have the treasure in our sights!" Izuku encouraged, trying to stay positive for his teammates. Ann and Ryuji grumbled a bit before nodding, knowing that their journey through the palace was almost over. With a small spurt of energy, the four continued on their way up the winding stairs, the twisting ring going much higher than originally anticipated. After several moments, the four reached the top, Ann and Ryuji sighing in relief.

"About damn ti-" Izuku quickly covered his mouth, putting a finger over his lips to tell him to be silent. Looking ahead, the four saw a single patrolling shadow by a large set of doors. It hadn't taken notice of them yet, strolling further down the hallway and away from them. Waiting a moment for the Shadow to walk further, Izuku made another motion for them to move forward, heading toward the double doors.

"This sure is a fancy set of doors. Ready to go in?" Ryuji asked, only for Izuku to shake his head.

"Considering their size, I'm sure there's a lot more to this room than just the treasure. Only one guard seems inefficient to use right next to the treasure." Izuku suggested, holding his chin in thought.

"Well whatever you do, make it quick! That Shadow will be back soon!" Ann warned, keeping a wary eye on the hall should she see the all too familiar gray armor.

"Up here!" Morgana whisper shouted, pointing to the pillars shaped similarly to the ones from before, quickly hopping on top of the back before motioning upward. "There's an open window just above. We can climb through there."

"Nice spot, Mona. Let's go, everyone!" Izuku said before jumping up. Ryuji and Ann were quick to follow after, feeling a bit more hurried as they heard the sound of the guard approaching from the other end of the hall. Once inside, the four looked around to see that they stood on the upper terrace of a large room, the same scarlet carpet and wallpaper surrounding them that they were familiar with after spending so long running in the castle.

"Alright, we're in!" Ryuji laughed a bit too loudly, quickly being shushed by Morgana.

"Quiet, idiot! Look!" Morgana whisper shouted, pointing over the white marble railing. The four quickly peered over, each widening their eyes as they saw Kamoshida standing at the center of the room, a throne chair just behind him on top of a pedestal. Around him were a plethora of guards, the sight causing the four to grimace at the sheer number of them.

"How have you incompetents not found them yet?!" Kamoshida howled in frustration, yellow eyes glaring down at the Shadows.

"W-we're sorry, your highness. We'll find them soon! It's only a matter of time!" A guard said, bowing its head in hope of mercy.

"I want their heads on my chopping block! If you don't find them soon, it will be your heads instead!" Kamoshida declared, quickly causing all of his guards to bow low to the ground in apology.

"He'd never guess that we were so close by…" Morgana hummed, narrowing his eyes down at the perverted Shadow of the teacher.

"Look, up ahead." Izuku whispered back, his three teammates looking up. Ahead at the end of the path was a set of double doors. It led down into the first floor of the room by a set of stairs, showing its importance to them. "I'm sure that the treasure is here. Lets go."

"Yeah." They answered, the four staying crouched as they moved as quietly as possible. They constantly spared a cautious glance toward the center of the room, thankful that the guards were too distracted by an angry Kamoshida scolding them to notice their presence. Pushing the doors open slowly, Izuku led them inside. Staying at the door and making sure each of them made it inside, Izuku spared a single look at Kamoshida to make sure he hadn't noticed. Seeing that he was still distracted, Izuku quickly but quietly closed the doors behind them. Quickly catching up, Izuku stood in front of the large set of brown doors, taking a deep breath as he prepared himself. "This is it…" He mumbled before pushing the doors open. The four walked inside, eyes widening in amazement as they saw piles of gold coins and loot lying throughout the room.

"Man~, this is amazing! I didn't think it was literal treasure!" Ryuji whistled, grinning ear to ear as he looked around.

"Not quite. This is just part of the cognition. What we're really after… is that." Morgana said, a satisfied smile spreading across his feline mouth as he pointed with a paw. The three followed his line of sight to a strange ethereal cloud hovering above the gold, a dim light shining at the center of it.

"That's… the treasure?" Izuku mumbled out, a little more than shocked to see that it was nothing like what any of them expected.

"This cloud thing? But… how are we gonna take that out of here?" Ann wondered, looking down at Morgana for answers.

"First it has to materialize before it can be taken. I just wanted to make sure that we had our escape route secured, so now I'll explain how we're going to be taking it out." Morgana said, jumping on top of a treasure trunk and placing his paws on his hips. "You see, desires have no physical form by nature. Because of that, the Treasure doesn't materialize until the owner of the palace realizes that their desires are in fact a Treasure to them."

"But… how do we make Kamoshida feel like its his desires that are in danger specifically?" Izuku asked, holding his chin in thought as he tried to ascertain the answer for himself.

"Simple. We warn them. Tell him that 'we're going to steal your heart!'" Morgana declared, earning an excited gleam in Ryuji's eyes.

"No way, we're actually gonna send a calling card?! Ever since you told me what they were I've been lookin' a bunch up! That's exactly somethin' they would do!" Ryuji grinned, earning a nod of acceptance from Morgana.

"Precisely. Good catch, Skull. Once the calling card has been seen by the palace ruler, the Treasure is certain to materialize!... I think." Morgana coughed toward the end, earning several disappointed looks from his teammates. "B-but I'm almost completely positive it will!"

"If you say so… but either, it's worth giving it a shot!" Ryuji smiled, giving a thumbs up to the others.

"Once the calling card has been seen, there's no turning back. We'll have to act in that moment within twenty four hours or else the treasure will dematerialize." Morgana further explained, glancing around at the group.

"I see… I'm guessing it's because of someone's instinctual fear that they are so on guard in that first day, but afterwards they'll just think its a prank." Izuku hummed before nodding. "Okay. Lets send out the calling card as soon as possible! Are you guys ready?"

"Hell yeah! I'm ready to make that bastard pay!" Ryuji huffed in excitement.

"You know I'm ready whenever you need me to be." Morgana said, offering a confident smile. The three turned to Ann this time, who had her head tilted down in thought.

"Do you guys… think we can wait one more day before sending it?" This earned several surprised looks, but her teammates waited for her reason before speaking up. "Tomorrow, I… I want to see Shiho. Just before we take him down. I want to let her know that this is going down."

Concern and understanding crossed the faces of her teammates, each one of them nodding in understanding. "Of course, Panther. We have an infiltration route secured, so there's no need to jump in straight away. Right, Hero?"

"Of course. We still have a week and a half before Kamoshida was planning to have us expelled. We can do it whenever within that time." Izuku agreed, offering a sympathetic smile.

"I just need one day, that's all. One day and I'm ready to take this son of a bitch down." Ann declared, conviction coloring itself behind her mask.

"Alright then. With that settled, we can take our leave. It's probably good to have the extra day for a bit of rest, anyways. Before we get out of here, is there anything else you'd like to do? Maybe gather some more loot?" Morgana asked, turning his attention to Izuku. As the four had discovered, going through the palace had yielded many surprising rewards, including items that could be sold or used for healing themselves.

"No, I think we've gathered enough. Once this is all over, we'll figure out what to do with the loot we've already gathered until now." Izuku suggested, earning a nod of understanding from the cat and Ryuji. "Let's get out of here. I'm ready to turn in for the day."

"Sounds perfect to me. We've got a big day ahead of us." Ryuji agreed, he and Morgana turning around and heading for the door. Izuku made to walk out, only for Ann to grab his sleeve and stop him.

"Hey… are you busy tomorrow?" Ann asked, causing the green haired teen to blink in surprise. "I wanted to see if you would go with me to see Shiho."

Izuku felt his heart sink, eyes drifting to the ground in guilt as he put two and two together. "Did… Skull tell you?" He asked quietly, Ann giving him a hesitant nod.

"I think that… maybe before we go, it might be good for her to see you too. And good for you. It's just what I thought, but… I figured that you might want to see Shiho after everything. You were the only one to see what was wrong, after all." Ann explained, looking down at the ground and rubbing her arm nervously. Izuku opened his mouth before closing it, hands trembling at his side. Part of him didn't want to see her until after this was all done. Izuku hardly felt capable of seeing the person he failed so tragically. But another part of Izuku did want to see Shiho. To give himself one last reminder of who he was doing this for. It was all or nothing, after all. And even if they won but they messed up, Izuku might not have been able to see her before being sent to jail.

"Okay… I'll go with you."

* * *

Izuku and Ann waited in silence, both seated in the hall of the hospital. Seeing how sensitive and personal the subject was, Morgana decided to go off and leave the two to it. A doctor was currently examining Shiho's condition, telling the two to wait outside before being able to see her. With that in mind, it was hard for the two to say much of anything. A somber atmosphere surrounded the two, neither particularly excited to see Shiho in her current condition. Even though this was something they wanted, it didn't make them feel any more at ease about it. Izuku wasn't sure what he was going to do once he got inside and saw Shiho. Part of him wanted to turn back and leave out of fear. But Izuku knew he couldn't do that. This was as much for Ann as it was for himself.

"Midoriya-san and Takamaki-kun?" A voice called out, the two raising their heads to see an elderly doctor in a white coat calling out to them. "I'm done with my examination. You both may go in and see her."

"How is she?" Ann asked, no small amount of anxiety hidden in her voice.

"Stable. She's been having some troubles with internal damage, but we've been able to treat most of it. Right now, it all depends on her and how her body receives more medicine and heals. But for right now, she's making it through." The doctor explained, eliciting a sigh of relief from Ann. Izuku gave a thankful smile, just as pleased to hear that Shiho's condition wasn't deteriorating.

"Thank you. We'll go see her now." Ann said in appreciation, the doctor giving a small nod before walking off. Ann shot Izuku a small nod to follow before walking inside the room. Izuku hesitated at the door, hands gripping at his school pants before finally breathing out. Izuku slowly walked inside, glancing toward the bed that Shiho was resting on. His heart twisted in agony, seeing that Shiho was connected to a mess of tubes that wrapped around her arms and face. This was likely a familiar view for Ann by now, but he couldn't imagine how painful it was for her to see this close to every day.

"Hey, Shiho. It's me again. Sorry I haven't visited in a couple days." Ann said, her voice faint and sincere as she gave a small smile. "I've been pretty busy with the whole Kamoshida thing. This time I brought a friend, though. Knowing you, you'll probably remember Izuku." Ann motioned to Izuku who remained silent, allowing Ann to have her peace.

"I heard you tried to make him feel better even after all the rumors about him. That sounds just like you." Ann giggled, giving a sad smile as her eyes began to mist up. "I… I'm really glad to see you haven't given up yet. Neither have I. I just want you to know that… it's almost over. By the end of the day tomorrow, we'll have made Kamoshida pay for everything he's done. So please… keep on fighting. I won't forgive you if you don't." several tears began to trail down Ann's cheeks, the twin tailed blonde taking a shaky breath before wiping her face. She took a step back and made way for Izuku, offering him a smile. "Would you like to say something to her?"

Izuku widened his eyes slightly before swallowing his spit. This had been the bane of his day. He took several slow steps forward, still struggling in his mind to figure out what the best thing to say would be. He had so much to say yet nothing at all. Nothing that was forming into coherent words. Feeling the churned emotions welling up, Izuku forced out the first thing that came to mind:

"I'm so sorry…" Izuku's minid suddenly became clear as he spoke those three words. His eyes began to cloud with water and he could already feel tears starting to flow down his cheeks like a waterfall. He bit his bottom lip as he let out several choked cries, bowing his head as he let his emotions spill forth. "I'm so sorry I couldn't save you! I-I-I should have done more! Should have acted faster! I-I keep thinking about what I could have done differently a-and what I said up there! I messed up so badly, I-" Izuku inhaled a trembling breath as he sniffled. Ann hadn't realized how much this had truly weighed on his mind, now feeling almost guilty for asking him to come. She knew it wasn't his fault that Shiho jumped. From the look of it, Izuku didn't realize that.

Taking several bated breaths, Izuku sniffed up any dripping snot and huffed out. Wiping his cheeks of water though still crying, Izuku's expression morphed into one of conviction, his brow hardening this time. "B-but I won't let that be the end of it… we're going to make Kamoshida pay for what he's done. To you, to the track team, to Ann-sempai, to Ryuji-sempai… we're not going to let him get away with it! I promise you…" Izuku reached forward and grabbed her hand, folding it between his own. "So please… please wake up soon… and smile once this is all over. Okay?" Izuku gave the largest teary eyed grin he was capable of, relying on the All-Might grin to give him strength.

After some moments weeping, Izuku released her hand, setting it back against her side before turning to Ann. "I-I'm sorry you had to see that…" He mumbled out, rubbing the back of his head.

"No. I'm glad I did. I'm glad I got to see for myself how much you care." Ann shook her head, offering Izuku a reassuring smile. "So tomorrow, with all that in mind, let's finish this. We'll make him confess his sins, right?" Ann said, her voice filled with determination as she held a hand up for him to shake.

Izuku widened his eyes, the tears finally coming to a stop as he gave a grin of appreciation. "Yeah. Let's do it." He nodded, clasping her hand in his for a firm shake. "Thank you for bringing me here, Ann-sempai. I think I needed this… more than I realized." He said, earning an energetic nod from her in response.

"Of course. Its what friends are for. I think we all needed that. Including her." Ann said, her voice becoming soft as she turned her gaze back to Shiho. "It was nice to have someone to come here with… Shiho needs to know that there are people trying to do good by her."

Izuku only smiled at the twin tailed blonde, her words bringing some peace of mind to him.

 ***SMASH***

Much to his surprise though, the world around him began to darken and the sound of chains breaking cracked in his ear, the tarot card of the lovers arcana appearing before him.

 **Lover's Confidant: RANK TWO**

It wasn't long before the world returned to normal and the card dissipated before his eyes. Still standing there, Ann gave him a kind smile before balling her fist in front of her. "Now let's go. We've got a long day ahead of us and I'm going to make sure I'm ready."

Izuku blinked as he regained his composure, smiling as he decided to brush off the progression of his supposed Confidant link. He was just happy that he and Ann could come to understand one another a bit more. "Okay. I'll be counting on you, Ann-sempai!" The two of them departed from Shiho's room, going into discussion over their plans for the coming day against Kamoshida. In their deep conversation, they had both failed to notice an old woman that used a strangely large syringe as a walking stick approaching Shiho's room.

"Hm... I wonder if one of them sent me that petition? Oh, well. Better start getting to work."

* * *

Kamoshida wasn't sure what it was, but he felt a small amount of anxiety as of late. Most specifically in the past few day. He felt like a hunter setting traps for animals. But not only did the animals start to spring the trap, they'd go to his camp and wreck everything in sight. The volleyball coach couldn't pinpoint the reason he felt this way, only that someone was messing around in his own personal privacy. The problem was, he had been having no such trouble. One might assume that he was anxious about what Suzui might have to say should she wake up, but that wasn't the case. Kamoshida was ready for any accusation she might throw his way and would spread even worse rumors about the girl to undermine anything she would have to say about him.

 _What the hell is going on? Why do I feel so damn anxious?_ He mused to himself, gritting his teeth in irritation as he stomped down the hallways of Shujin. Looking up and focusing on his route to work, he raised a brow when he suddenly saw a gathering of students by the school announcement board. They were all whispering to themselves, no coherent words loud enough for him to hear.

"What's going on here?" Kamoshida asked, raising his voice volume to put some command in his tone. Immediately the surrounding students became silent, all taking a step back from the board. No one immediately answered, all eyes watching him expectantly. Looking around, Kamoshida's eyes landed on a red card with a strange logo at the top, a great number of copies of the same paper taped to the board. Pulling it down, Kamoshida began to read its contents:

To Sir Kamoshida Suguru,

You have committed the grave sin of Lust,

Harming those beneath you,

and destroying those who would stand up to you.

You have thought yourself untouchable,

Protected from the eyes of the law

And the heroes who uphold them.

But we, the last bastions against your reign,

Shall prove to you and the school that you are wrong.

We shall rob you of the distorted desires in your heart,

And make you confess to your profound sins.

Be ready for us, as we will come for your desires tomorrow.

But you'll never see it coming.

From, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts

By the time that Kamoshida was finished reading the calling card, his hands were shaking with fury, his face contorted into an outraged mess. He span on the students surrounding him, all of which quickly recoiled the moment his gaze scanned over them. "Who **did** this?! **Huh**?!" Kamoshida spat, causing many of the teenagers to step back in fear. Kamoshida didn't care who would become his next victim, his anger boiling over as he pointed at a random student. "Was it you?! Huh?! Tell me who did this!" He roared furiously, his uncontained fury enough to make the students begin to disperse in fear. No one answered his questions and no one stuck around long enough to become the target of his true wrath. His eyes darted around, looking for someone, anyone to blame for this sudden attack on his name.

Finally, as the hallway emptied, his eyes landed on three familiar faces that stood at the other end of the hall. Narrowing his eyes and baring his teeth, Kamoshida stomped his feet forward as he approached Izuku, Ryuji and Ann, though his glare was focused on the two boys rather than the twin tailed blonde. "It was you two, wasn't it?!"

"What was?" Izuku asked, his voice low as he narrowed his eyes up defiantly at Kamoshida.

"Yeah, Kamoshida. Whatcha talkin' about?" Ryuji huffed in response, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

Kamoshida contemplated lashing out, getting in an uproar at the two for this slight on his name. But, thinking of his own reputation and what others might witness from observing this scene, he stopped. Reigning in his anger, Kamoshida merely sneered at the two. "Whatever. This doesn't change anything. You two will be expelled soon enough. Enjoy the little prank while it lasts."

Before the Persona users eyes, darkness surrounded them and Kamoshida's appearance suddenly shifted, resembling that of the Shadow that ruled over his castle of cognition. " **Come try and take it if you can, fools!** " It cackled spitefully before the image of the real Kamoshida shifted back. With that, the coach stomped off, thinking himself victorious in the end.

"Well, I would say that worked." Morgana suddenly spoke from Izuku's bag, popping his head out and perching on his shoulder. "We've got confirmation from that reaction. The treasure should have materialized. Good work on the calling card, guys."

"I told you to leave it to me. It went smooth as hell!" Ryuji laughed proudly, rolling his shoulder in his excitement.

"I will admit, the message on it was pretty good. I was actually convinced that someone else wrote it. Not bad, Ryuji." Ann hummed, crossing her arms as she gave him a small thumbs up.

"Don't give him too much credit. He had Izuku proofread it last night and I'm sure that he made a lot of adjustments to make it better." Morgana huffed, earning a small flinch from the faux blond.

"I-I only made some small alterations, just something to make it sound more… mature, is all!" Izuku laughed sheepishly, trying to give Ryuji more credit for the calling card considering his hard work on it. In truth, he actually had made quite a few adjustments on the message. But he didn't mind giving the credit to Ryuji. After all, what was most important to him was the result. His brow furrowed seriously, looking at each of them. "But we've got to focus, now. If we only have the day to take the treasure, we can't waste anymore time. Let's get going."

Ann and Ryuji narrowed their eyes and nodded in agreement, both ready for the task ahead. "All we need is today. It's time to put the last nail in this bastard's coffin."

"Lead the way, Hero." Morgana chuckled confidently before stuffing himself back into the bag. Izuku took a deep breath before stepping forward, ready to end this once and for all.

"Midori." Izuku suddenly hesitated, quickly turning his head to see Makoto standing by the bulletin board, holding one of the calling cards in her hand. Izuku gulped hard at seeing this, sparing a glance back at Ann and Ryuji who gave him a concerned look. Izuku silently motioned for them to go on without him before turning back and walking over to Makoto. Ryuji and Ann hesitated for a second before moving forward, deciding to wait for him to finish with the third year.

"H-hey, Koto-san…" Izuku greeted shakily scratching the back of his head as he waited for her to turn around. Makoto's eyes were still on the calling card, concern still written across her face.

"Is… this part of your plan to stop him? How?" Makoto asked quietly, looking up from the calling card and fixing Izuku with a confused gaze. "You're basically declaring war on him."

"It… it's necessary, Koto-san." Izuku explained, looking up to meet her eyes. "It's going to be over soon, don't worry. One way or another."

Makoto looked down at the calling card again before sighing, tucking it away into her purse and nodding. "Okay. Try to… come out of this without getting expelled, okay?"

"I'll do everything I can. We're going to win." Izuku nodded, giving her a more confident smile in an attempt to sway her worries. "Thank you for all your help up to now, Koto-san. I truly appreciate it." He said, offering a deep bow to her.

Makoto sighed, doubting the help that he spoke of before giving a simple nod. "Be careful out there… whatever it is you have to do. And try not to get into a fight you can't win. Okay?" Izuku gave a hard nod, smiling to reassure her before rushing out the exit of the school. "Not that I could ever stop you from doing that…" she muttered dejectedly, turning around and heading back to the library and resume her studying.

* * *

 **(Persona 5 OST: Life Will Change Instrumental)**

"On your right, Hero!"

"Got it! Carter!"

Lashing out with a ray of light, the Persona blasted an opposing Shadow to pieces in front of Izuku. With their infiltration route mapped out, moving through the castle to the throne room was going by like a breeze. They knew the ins and outs of the castle now, able to avoid the majority of conflicts with Shadows on their way to the Treasure. Only now and again did they have a Shadow erupt from the ground to block their way, but it did little to slow their momentum. With the use of stealth and subtlety now gone, the four moved like a freight train from Hell, blasting through their enemies without missing a beat.

"We're approaching the throne room! Be prepared for a lot of opposition!" Morgana announced to the others. Currently, they were in the distorted room that was the precursor to the Treasure. Moving with purpose, they avoided the holes and distortions professionally, Izuku keeping to memory the paths that held the previous days before.

"So long as we get the Treasure, none of that will matter, right?" Ryuji guessed with an excited grin, just as ready as any of them to complete their mission.

"Shadow, twelve o'clock!" Izuku called out to the others, drawing their attention forward. Izuku took the lead, dashing with greater speed and hopping onto the Shadow's shoulders. The practice he put in ambushing Shadows in their first push through the castle had served him well, immediately going for its mask and prying it from the armored guard's helmet in one swift motion. Black ooze spewed from the armor, forming into a familiar enemy in Archangel, if Izuku recalled the name correctly.

"Skull, Panther!" Izuku called out, his aforementioned comrades knowing exactly what to do at his beckon.

"Captain Kidd!"

"Carmen!"

Ryuji and Ann cast aside their masks, their Personas forming above them as the two pointed forward. "Let him have it!" They cried out, a volley of lightning and fire coloring the air as their Personas unleashed their power. The Shadow had little time to react, crying out in pain as the lightning stunned it and the fire stacked on the damage, charing its body. The four had become aware of the fact that, with every strong foe they defeated, the stronger their Personas became. Days prior, Ryuji's lightning attack alone was not enough to stop the same Shadow dead in its tracks. Now, with its combined power with Carmen,

"You're up, Hero!"

"Carter!" Izuku said as he stripped his mask from his face, the porcelain white being forming above him with its arm raised at the ready: "Quantico Smash~!" Izuku exclaimed, and with a flick, the Persona unleashed a powerful shockwave that shot into the Shadow's chest. The force proved too much for the Shadow, causing it to explode into a mess of black ooze that drained into the ground. Izuku took a small breath, not feeling quite as strained in his arm as before but still feeling a bit stiff.

"I've got you covered, Hero." Morgana said, summoning Zorro and quickly casting its healing spell. Izuku felt the stiffness in his arm fade, looking up and giving Morgana a thankful smile.

"Thanks Mona. Alright, let's keep going! Almost there!" Izuku ordered the group, earning nods of acceptance from the rest of the group. Without another word, the four ascended the stairs that formed for them with each step they took. No one made any mention of tiring out or the amount they had to climb. With their objective just ahead of them, the adrenaline they felt was enough to block out any amount of typical physical weariness.

They soon reached the top of the stairs, Izuku motioning for them to stop behind him. Something that immediately stuck out to them was the fact that the throne room doors were wide open, and no Shadow patrolling the hall. Izuku took a cautious step forward, peering inside the throne room with caution. Much to his shock, it was completely empty of any enemies. "Where… are they?"

"Normally I would say hiding, but its also likely that they were assigned to different parts of the castle if they're not here." Morgana suggested, rubbing his chin with his paw. "That makes things easier for us. We'll have a straight shot to the treasure."

"Aw hell yeah! I'm totally down for that! We'll just walk in and take it!" Ryuji grinned dumbly, pumping his fist in the air.

"That seems way too easy, though…" Izuku mumbled before scanning the room cautiously with his eyes. "Either way, we still have to get the treasure… keep your guards up, everyone. We still don't know if we're home free just yet."

"Got it. Let's get our hands on that treasure!" Ann said, the four immediately proceeding forward. Izuku kept his head on a swivel, eyes darting back and forth from each corner of the room surrounding them. No Shadows and no Kamoshida. Izuku would like to believe that things were going to be so easy. But he wasn't stupid. He fully expected a trap lying in wait for them. After climbing the stairs to the second level, Izuku made the others halt behind him, slowly pushing the door open after drawing his pistol. No Shadows still. Still suspicious but not willing to stop, Izuku motioned for them to keep going, leading them inside to the treasure trove inside. Pushing the second set of doors open, Izuku unveiled the true Treasure of the castle, the four widening their eyes in disbelief. At the center of the room, an english styled gold crusted crown hovered above the piles of gold on the ground. While the crown was indeed beautiful, what caused the four to gawk was its enormity: in height, it was taller than any of the four, and its width was at least over a meter in radius.

"Whoa~, that's the Treasure?! It's friggin' huge!" Ryuji gawked in disbelief, the four slowly approaching the crown.

"Beautiful, isn't it? Oh how I've waited for this day to come!" Morgana sighed in contentment.

"Yeah it… really is. That kinda pisses me off." Ann huffed, her lips twitching into a frown. "If it's supposed to represent that bastards desires, it should be something gross or perverted."

"Well, it does more represent how he views the treasure rather than how others might." Izuku suggested, earning a small grumble from the twin tailed blonde. "Alright, everyone. Let's not waste any time. Let's figure out a way to-"

"So shiny… its dazzling so bright that I think I might even cry…" Morgana suddenly purred out, causing the four to blink and look down at him in question.

"M-Mona? Don't you think we-" Izuku tried to remind him, only to be cut off by a sudden fit of meows.

"Mrreow~!" Morgana suddenly jump forward, clamping onto the front of the crown and rubbing his face against the gold, strangely enough still releasing purrs of pleasure. "Meow~!"

"Um… okay, that's a new one…" Ryuji said in disbelief, scratching the top of his head. "He can be a stupid cat, but this is… a whole new level."

"M-Mona… what are you doing?" Izuku asked, eyes wide as plates as he struggled to determine the proper course of action for… this. Despite his worries, Morgana's eyes suddenly went wide in alert, slowly realizing just what he was doing before hopping off. If he didn't have a mask or fur, it would be reasonable to say that he was likely blushing with embarrassment.

"I-I am so sorry! T-that behavior was… very unbecoming of me. Especially in front of a lady…" Morgana coughed out, scratching the back of his head with a paw.

"That was the first time you've ever actually acted like a real cat. What was that about?" Ann asked, hiding none of her curiosity over Morgana's strange behavior.

"It was… just something instinctual, I guess. I just couldn't help myself. After seeing the Treasure after all our hard work, I was so entranced… It must have something to do with human desires..." Morgana sighed, looking down at the ground as he tried to make excuses for his strange actions. His face suddenly lit up with excitement. "Oh, but isn't that proof that I'm a human?!"

"How should we know?!" Ryuji snapped back, the assumption a little too broad for his taste.

"W-well, anyway, it's time to get this out of here! We'll just have to carry it from the look of things." Morgana cleared his throat, trying to regain his previous appearance of professionalism.

"You sure recover fast." Ryuji drawled with an eye roll, but stepped up to the treasure regardless. "So how's this gonna work? Is it gonna keep floating like this or..?" he hummed, placing his hands under the rim of the crown. The moment he tugged on it, gravity seemed to finally kick in for the crown, the opposite end falling to the ground with a thud while Ryuji strained to hold up his end. "Holy-this thing is heavy!"

"Um, guys, we-"

"Looks like you'll all have to carry it out. I'll act as the guide out since I'm not tall enough to stay level with the rest of you." Morgana suggested, Ann approaching the crown and tilting her head.

"Guys..."

"This will be a lot more difficult than I expected…" Ann grumbled, leaning down and picking up one end of the crown. "Okay-wow. You weren't kidding about how heavy it is…" She peeked an eye out at Izuku, who seemed to be watching them with a sheepish expression as he scratched the back of his head. "Come on, Hero! We need your help!"

"W-well, um..." Izuku said, slowly reaching up and pulling off his mask. Carter materialized above him, causing his teammates to look up in question. "Why don't we just carry it with our Personas?"

…

…

…

"... huh. Guess that was kinda obvious in hindsight." Ryuji mumbled, rubbing the back of his head. Feeling a bit too stupid about the idea, he turned his embarrassment to Morgana. "Hey, why didn't you suggest that?!"

"Don't look at me! I just…" Morgana suddenly began to struggle to find an answer that sounded convincing. "... I-I was just still excited over earlier!"

"Oh, whatever-"

"Alright, no more fighting." Ann sighed in irritation, dropping her end of the crown and taking a step back. "Let's just go with Hero's idea and tow this thing out of here with our Personas."

"Y-yes, ma'am." Ryuji and Morgana said in agreement, deciding to end it there to spare their remaining dignity after the oversight. Izuku just let out a sheepish chuckle, willing Carter forth and having it pick the crown up in one hand, holding it by the rim. Strangely enough, while bigger than the crown, it still looked too large even for his Persona. Though Izuku didn't dwell on the thought any more than the brief muse.

"I have to admit though, the results that sprouted from our deal far exceeded any of my expectations." Morgana suddenly said, drawing Izuku's attention down to the cat who looked up at him with a proud smile. "Not only did I find three Persona users, but you turned out to be a fairly competent leader, as well. We even now have the treasure within our grasp. I would say that my judgement of you was correct. Making a deal with you was certainly the right choice." he laughed, giving an almost childishly proud grin.

Despite Morgana's slight smugness, Izuku couldn't stop a smile from spreading across his face. "Yeah… I'm glad that we met that day too, Mona." He said, giving a small chuckle.

 ***SMASH***

Izuku widened his eyes again as the familiar tarot card appeared before his eyes, the world around him briefly darkening.

 **Magician Confidant: RANK TWO**

"Alright, everyone. Let's try our best to keep Hero and his Persona covered since he's the one carrying it." Morgana suggested, his words bringing Izuku back to reality. The green haired teen watched as the three moved ahead of him, shaking his head as he made to catch up. Carter floated behind him, phasing through the wall while making sure the crown hung low enough in its hand to go through without trouble.

"Any enemies in sight?" Morgana asked, eyes searching the throne room for opposing Shadows.

"Nothin' over here." Ryuji announced.

"Same. Let's go." Ann called out, Izuku nodding as he made his way down the stairs with Carter close behind him.

"Let's go! Let's go! Let's go~ Kam-o-shida!" the very familiar voice of Ann echoed through the hall. The group turned their attention to Ann in question, only for the twin tailed blonde to blink.

"But that wasn't-"

" **Hah~**!" From behind one of the pillars, a volleyball shot out with terrible strength. Izuku hadn't seen it coming and without preparing for it, the force from the ball was enough to knock it out of Carter's grip, the crown falling to the ground with a thud. Jumping through the air, the four thieves watched as Kamoshida's Shadow landed on his throne, a sadistic shit eating grin across his face. He held up a hand toward his crown, the Treasure illuminating for a moment before shrinking before their eyes. It hovered in the air again before flying into Kamoshida's open hand, now holding a normal sized crown. "You fools thought I'd really let you walk out with my crown?! This is proof of my divine right as king of this castle! It is the core that keeps this world alive!"

"All the more reason for us to take it from you, asshole! We're gonna make this place fall to the ground!" Ryuji exclaimed, the four quickly gathering together to fight Kamoshida as one. The doll of Ann appeared once again, the true Ann gritting her teeth in disgust and frustration as she saw it.

"So that really is how you see me, huh? You perverted prick…" Ann growled, her pink gloved hand gripping at her whip.

"Give us the crown, Kamoshida. Or we'll take it from you." Izuku said, his voice low as his eyes hardened into a glare behind his mask. "You can't take on all of us!"

"Is that what you believe? Please. Just because a piece of trash piles together, that doesn't make it anything more than trash." Kamoshida taunted, spinning the crown in his index finger. "No. I'm going to dispose of you lot all on my own. Right here, right now."

"Bring it on, you sexually harrassin' D-bag! We'll make you eat shit!" Ryuji retorted in anger, pulling the pipe from his back and spinning it around.

"Sexual harassment? What makes you think that?" Kamoshida asked, feigning innocence as he leaned forward toward them and took one step down from his throne. "I'm not the one who wanted to get into college with high merits. The students, their parents and the principal all turned blind eyes on their own. They give me what I want so that they can benefit from my achievements. Something brats like you could never understand. Same with that idiot girl who tried to kill herself."

Izuku felt his anger flare up inside, pupils dilating as he pulled the staff from his back. "You… Don't you dare-"

"You're right. She is an idiot." Izuku blinked when he heard this, eyes shifting to Ann in shock. The red suited thief was looking down in shame, her eyes hidden by her mask. "Letting you manipulate her, trying to commit suicide… and I'm an even bigger moron for not seeing how much she was suffering." Despite her words, Ann shifted her gaze back up to Kamoshida, a fire lit in her eyes as she pulled the whip from her hip. "But no matter how much of an idiot someone is, you don't have the right to decide whether they can live their lives or not!"

"Panther…" Izuku muttered, impressed and touched by her resolve. Turning back to Kamoshida, his anger had been washed away, now a flame of determination filling his heart.

"Hmph. Like a peasant like you can decide anything for yourself. None of you understand my achievements and my greatness." Kamoshida huffed, grinning sadistically again as he propped his chest out. "I'm a cut above all humans. You're just a bunch of ants to me."

Ryuji began to growl, ready to spew a mess of profanities at the gym teacher as usual. But suddenly he stopped, a shit eating grin starting to spread across his masked face as he started to laugh loudly, his teammates turning to him in shock. "Oh yeah? A cut above the rest, huh? What about those kids at UA? You above them, too?"

With that one sentence, Kamoshida's sadistic smile suddenly fell. "What did you just say?"

"Must suck gettin' outshined by a bunch of students, huh? They really made your dumb gold medal look like a paper weight." Ryuji chuckled, standing up straight and resting his pipe on his shoulder. "After we found your little creeper room, I thought I'd look up some of the details of your gold medal win. Get a little more understanding of where all that kinda shit spouted from that made you such a shit head. But then I found a profile that exposed your Quirk. News articles love to mention those, huh?" Ryuji pointed at Kamoshida, sticking his tongue out tauntingly. "I mean, really? All you can do is whip your tongue really far? No wonder you hate those kids so much for takin' your spotlight."

"You don't know **anything** , you pathetic monkey!" Kamoshida suddenly exclaimed, pushing his fake Ann behind him as he lashed out in fury. "I achieved an award without a Quirk! I claimed a gold medal from my hard work alone! Brats like you who rely on your fancy Quirks for popularity are nothing to me!"

"I would normally admire someone who worked so hard to gain such accomplishments in life without a useful Quirk." Izuku said this time, Kamoshida shifting his gaze to the green haired teen. "But instead of using your achievements to help people, you swing them around like an iron mace! Forcing people under your charge to do what you want no matter how twisted or messed up it is! You're nothing but a villain that's been warped by his desires!"

Kamoshida's eyes shined with rage, his body trembling as he bent forward. Suddenly he began to laugh maniacally, reaching back and grabbing the fake Ann and pulling her close to him. The familiar red and black ooze from the Shadows they fought started to surround Kamoshida, the four blinking in confusion. "A villain? No… no, I'm more like a demon, I'd say. A demon who **rules this world**!"

 **(Persona 5 OST: Blooming Villain)**

The black ooze suddenly enveloped his body, sprouting forth something much larger than before. The Phantom Thieves widened their eyes as they took several steps back, Kamoshida's Shadow growing bigger by the second as his shadow loomed over them, the room becoming darker because of his presence. "What the hell?!" Ryuji blurted out, taking a step back again as a blot of what looked like saliva dropped near his feet in a large puddle.

"What… is this?" Izuku muttered, sweat trailing down his brow as Kamoshida's Shadow took full shape and materialized. Its was enormous, the top of Kamoshida's head just meters below the roof of the throne room. Its entire body had become inhuman, now a hot pink color with its body completely morpherd. It had four arms, each one holding a different item: a cup of wine, a gold knife and fork, and a whip. His face was now as monstrous as his personality, its lips becoming as pointed as teeth and his tongue flowing out of his mouth, swaying like a tendril in the air above them. Sitting just behind Kamoshida were two large golden balls, chains connected to two bodies on each side of him, all wearing solid masks. In front of him was a large chalice, the lower halves of women kicking about inside of it.

"I've told you all time and time again…" Kamoshida's Shadow bellowed as it swayed its head back and forth, its voice twisted and deeper than it was before. "The school… this castle… this **world** all belong to me! And I can do whatever the **hell I want**!"

Izuku felt Kamoshida's intimidating power wash over him, staring up at the monster in complete shock. But after a moment, his senses returned to him. Gritting his teeth, Izuku gripped his staff in hand and pointed it at Kamoshida, summoning his courage and anger. "You're wrong! We're not letting you do whatever you want anymore! We're going to steal your heart and make you pay!"

"Damn straight!" Ryuji said in support, he and the rest of the team taking a step forward in defiance, feeling inspired by Izuku's unshaking courage. Kamoshida's body trembled in rage, rearing his head back and letting out a ferocious roar that shook the throne room.

"Brats like you will always be powerless to stop me!" Raising the golden knife in his hand, the Shadow swung down on the four. They immediately dispersed, Ryuji and Izuku jumping right with Morgana and Ann doing the opposite.

"Panther, hit him with fire! Mona, fan the flames!" Izuku called out, the two skidding against the ground and nodding.

"Go, Carmen! Agi!" Ann ordered, stripping her mask off and summoning the scarlet dressed Persona. Flames bursted from Carmen's palms, blasting them forth against the monstrosity sitting at the top of the throne. Kamoshida only recoiled slightly from the blast, scoffing in displeasure. Before he could make a remark, Morgana was quick to act, Zorro forming above him and swinging its sword.

"Don't let those flames die, Zorro!" Morgana ordered, his Persona creating a small whirlwind that blew right into Kamoshida. The flames intensified across his body, the palace ruler letting out a small grunt of pain as it covered its face with one arm.

"You dumb brats! Little shits shouldn't be playing with fire!" Kamoshida laughed, slapping the whip in his hand against a pillar. Morgana and Ann widened their eyes in confusion. Hearing the bristle of chains, the two looked down to see the slaves running forward, volleyballs in their hands. With a quick serve, Each one blasted a ball at the two far faster than any normal person could.

"Watch out, Panther!" Morgana called out, quickly attempting to jump forward and push her out of the way. It was for naught, though, the balls slamming into the two and causing them to cry out in pain, both of them falling back from the force.

"Mona! Panther!" Ryuji cried out in fear, turning a furious glare Kamoshida's way. "You're gonna pay for that! Let's go, Captain Kidd!" Tossing his mask aside, Ryuji's Persona formed above him, Kidd sailing through the air and slamming its boat directly into Kamoshida's gut. Much to Ryuji's displeasure, the blow didn't seem to do much as the massive Shadow only scoffed.

"As always, you attack first without ever thinking about the consequences! That's what got your leg broken in the first place, remember?!" Kamoshida cackled, rearing his fork back and swinging it forward. Ryuji visibly paled, quickly raising his arms on instinct to protect himself.

"Genbu! Tarunda!" Izuku called out, quickly summoning one of his newer Persona that was created from fusion. It was a turtle that connected to a snake at it tail, the Persona unleashing a wave at the palace ruler. Just as Kamoshida was about to damage Ryuji, the power of his attack fell ever so slightly, lessening the impact as it slammed into the faux blond. Izuku quickly rushed up to catch Ryuji as he flew back, barely having enough strength to stop his momentum and keep them both from flying back.

"Thanks, dude. But damn it, he's friggin' strong!" Ryuji huffed, tensing the muscles in his arms as he tried to shake off the stiffness he felt after blocking the attack. Izuku quickly summoned Pixie, casting a Dia to ease his pain. "Thanks, man."

"He's the strongest enemy we've faced since coming to the castle. We can't hold anything back." Izuku huffed, gritting his teeth as he tried to formulate a plan.

"Hero! The source of his newfound strength is the crown!" Morgana called out, pointing to the top of Kamoshida's head. "If we can get a chance to knock it off, we have to take it!"

Izuku glanced up at the crown, widening his eyes as he began to formulate their next move. "I-I see! Okay, I know what we're going to do!" Looking at Ryuji, he hardened his brow. "You can still buff my damage, right?"

"Huh? Yeah, it's one of the tricks I learned while fightin'." Ryuji nodded in confirmation.

"Good, because I'm going to need it soon. We'll have to-"

"You think I'll let you brats sit there and plot?! Get real! Slaves~!" Kamoshida barked, slamming his whip against the ground. Immediately the chained nuisances from before picked up their weapons, hopping up and serving another blast, this time aimed at Izuku and Ryuji. Izuku acted on instinct, quickly pushing Ryuji behind the pillar for cover and taking the full brunt of the damage alone. It wasn't anything critical or maiming, but it certainly knocked the wind out of Izuku. One of them even smashed into the side of his head, causing him to become dazed for a brief moment.

"Hero!" Ryuji called to him, quickly picking himself up and grabbing their team leader. As the slaves prepared another volley, the faux blond quickly pulled him into cover, the balls bouncing against the pillar and dealing no damage to the duo. "Geez, try not to take make any heroic sacrifices already, would ya?" Ryuji half joked, breathing out in relief as Izuku tried to regain his senses.

"S-sorry to cause you trouble…" Izuku mumbled apologetically. "Still, all we need to do is get the crown. We need an opening for us to steal it off his head or at least knock it off." He said, quickly standing to his feet and looking over at Morgana and Ann. The two had followed their lead, hiding behind the pillar on the opposite side of the room. "We need to regroup and make a plan together."

"So whatcha wanna do? Take a chance and run across to 'em?" Ryuji asked, not entirely against the plan but knowing the dangers. "He's gonna go for us soon as he sees us."

"You're right. But thankfully we can hit back this time." Izuku declared, flashing a small smile as he pulled out the Snipe revolver model. Ryuji grinned ear to ear, pulling out the pump shotgun model out as well.

"I like your style of thinkin'. Let's give him hell." He chuckled, the two getting into a sprinting position.

"Ready… go!" Izuku shouted, the two quickly taking off across the open the room. They paced themselves, not wanting to lose their footing or not be able to maneuver should Kamoshida launch something at them.

"There you are, you little-agh!" Kamoshida was cut off as Izuku and Ryuji quickly shot out with their guns. The damage seemed minimal, but it was enough to sting the Shadow and distract it. "Damn it-slaves!" Kamoshida growled, slapping the whip into the ground. Just as the chained cognitions prepared to open fire upon Ryuji and Izuku, a flurry of gunfire rained down upon them. From the approaching pillar, Izuku gazed sideways to see Ann and Morgana firing upon the enemy with their own ranged weapons.

"Hurry, you two!" Morgana called out, Izuku and Ryuji not having to be told twice. With their cover fire, the two quickly slid on the ground to cover, Ann and Morgana backing up with them so that they were also out of the line of sight of Kamoshida.

"Thanks for the coverfire. That made it a lot easier to make it over here." Izuku breathed out as he leaned on one knee, looking up at Ann and Morgana. "Mona, once the crown is taken off his head, he'll weaken right?"

"That's right. Though I doubt he'll make it so easy for us to simply hit it. We're going to have to make a big move to soften him up, or at least get him distracted enough that he doesn't notice one of us going for it." Morgana suggested, peeking out from their cover to see the Shadow was still having its 'slaves' lash out with volleyballs at their cover.

"You're right. That's why I'm going to hit him with Carter's physical attack. Skull will give me the buff I need for it to make it stronger, so you and Panther have to prepare to go for the crown." Izuku advised, earning a round of nods from his team.

"Sounds like a plan. Just don't try anything too reckless out there. We saw you take some pretty hard hits." Ann said with a bit of worry. Before anything else could be said, saliva splashed around them, the four blinking before looking up. Kamoshida's togue was wrapping around the pillar that provided their cover, its foundation cracking as it tightened.

"Stop hiding from me, you stupid brats! Come out and take your beatings like the rest of my slaves!" Kamoshida cackled, pulling harder and harder on the pillar as it started to give under his strength.

"Sh-shit! Okay, it's now or never! Let's go!" Izuku called out, the four putting up their arms as shields as the pillar was finally broken, flung to the opposite side of the room by Kamoshida's tongue.

"There you are, you no-good little shits!" Kamoshida roared as he began to whip his tongue around. You called this thing worthless, right?! Let's see how worthless it is after I take your lives with it!"

"Go ahead and try, bastard!" Ann growled in defiance, Carmen materializing above her and lashing out with her flames. They surrounded the edge of Kamoshida's tongue, the Shadow widening its erratic moving eyes in pain. "Now, Hero! Do it!"

"Huh?" Kamoshida grunted, its eyes straightening for a moment as it searched the dust filled air left behind by the pillar's destruction. At the center of the room, Izuku was kneeling with his arm raised, Carter appearing in a torrent of light and mirroring his movements. A short ways behind him, Ryuji had Captain Kidd out, the Persona enveloping Izuku in a flash of red light.

"Give it to him good!"

"Take this, Kamoshida! Quantico **Smash~**!" Izuku said, his voice filled with determination as Carter unleashed its power. Blasting forth with a flick, a powerful shockwave shot toward Kamoshida, hitting the monster square in its center. The Shadow let out a loud groan of pain, choking slightly as the pressure caused him to buckle over slightly, keeping himself from falling on the chalice in front of him, though. Izuku's entire body tensed with muscle stress, the damage he took from earlier stacking on top of it to make things worse. Despite falling to one knee and struggling to balance himself up, Izuku cracked one eye open. "Go, Mona! Now!"

"You've got it!" Morgana answered, now standing on top of the terrace and preparing to attack. "With the way he's angled now, I'll knock it right off his head!" Morgana hummed mostly to himself, narrowing his eyes as he summoned Zorro above him. "Show him your might, Zorro! Take that crown off his head!"

Obeying his wishes, Zorro began to swing its rapier, a whirlwind forming from his blade and flying directly toward the crown. The four looked up with hope, watching as the torrent of wind came only meters away from the crown. But their hopes were immediately crushed, widening their eyes as Kamoshida suddenly raised its two right arms, blocking the brunt of the wind damage from his crown. "Wh-what the-?!"

"You little brats… think that's all it would take to beat me?!" the palace ruler began to cackle, raising from a steadily growing laugh to full out manic. Looking up and straightening out its body, the shadow had a gray body sticking out of the edge of its mouth, the four thieves widening their eyes in disbelief as he swallowed it whole. A green aura surrounded his body, restoring it to its former glory. The burns and bruises it once had from their attacks quickly faded.

"Y-you've gotta be kidding me! Did he recover his health by eating those things?!" Morgana exclaimed in shock, more than disappointed that their plan had fallen apart.

"You dumb rat. You think you can try and touch my precious crown and get away with it?!" Kamoshida growled as he whipped the ground. "Slaves!" With that word, the cognitions scurrying on the ground quickly hopped in the air, serving a wave of volleyballs directly at the cat. Morgana didn't react in time, taking the full force of the wave and crying out in pain as he was sent sailing back into the terrace.

"Mona!" Izuku cried out in fear, teeth grinding in fear as he focused his attention back forward. He tried to stand quickly, but his muscles strained as he had failed to heal himself with Pixie. He reached up for his mask, ready to make the quick change in Persona to fix that mistake.

"Watch out!" Ryuji quickly pushed Izuku on the ground, the green haired teen falling flat on his stomach with a thud. Thanks to the faux blond, he had avoided the large tongue that swung across the room and smacked right into Ryuji and Ann. The two were sent tumbling on their backs, landing several meters behind Izuku.

"Panther! Skull!" Izuku struggled out, his body trembling as he attempted to push off the ground to stand up. The two let out groans of pain, rolling on their sides to show that they were still conscious but obviously hurt.

"D-damn it… he really got us with that last hit…" Ryuji hissed, pounding his fist into the ground as tried to at least get on his knees.

"Look at yourselves now! All that big talk really was nothing but hot air, huh?" Kamoshida mocked them, his twisted voice cackling as he watched the three struggle to get up. He then pointed directly at Izuku, his eyes holding no small amount of amusement. "If I remember correctly, you're the trash that said 'heroes' would come for me, right?! Hah! So much for you 'heroes'. You can't do a damn thing to stop me now! Well, don't worry. How about I end this quick with my killshot? You all should be honored. Its the move I used in the last game to win the gold medal. Let's just take a drink and make sure that it'll be the last time you rats struggle." he chuckled darkly, raising the wine cup in his hand and taking a long swig of it.

Izuku watched in despair, face going pale as he struggled to figure out what he could do to turn the tide. _Kamoshida dealt everyone a lot of damage with that last hit… using Quantico Smash really took it out of me, too…_ He spared a glance back at Ann and Ryuji, fear beginning to well up within his stomach. _We… we might not make it out of this… We might not be able to win after all… I… I was too cocky. I lead everyone here thinking that we could make a difference… I got them into this mess. I'll get them out of it._

Izuku bit his bottom lip as he reached up to his mask and pulled it from his face. Pixie appeared above him, its hands shining with a green aura as it cast its healing spell on Ryuji and Ann. The two blinked in surprise, quickly looking up at the green haired teen. "G-go… get out of here before-"

"Not on your life!" Ryuji snapped, quickly scrambling to his feet. He quickly rushed over to Izuku, grabbing his arm and hoisting him up. "We didn't come this far for you to quit on us, leader! Don't you dare count us out!"

"He's right! We're in this together!" Ann reinforced, grabbing his other arm and helping Ryuji pull him along. "Come on, we have to hurry! We're gonna make it to the other pillar and hide from his next attack!"

"G-guys… no…" Izuku muttered, struggling in their grip lamely, his eyes beginning to well up with tears. He didn't want to drag them down and get them caught up in Kamoshida's next attack. He had to struggle, had to make sure that they were safe, even if it cost him everything. Izuku had been willing to give that up from the start.

 _ **You're just gonna roll over and quit, kid?**_ Carter's voice echoed in his ears, causing Izuku to hesitate in his resistance. _**They're just as willin' as you to give up everythin' to succeed. If you give up now, you're takin' that from them as much as that prick.**_

 _But… but how can we win? How can we-_

 _ **Bein' a hero has never been about whether you can do it or not.**_

Izuku felt his body froze as those words echoed through his mind, a stillness coming over him. It was only a second later that he felt his body begin to restore to its prior strength, a green aura washing over him. Izuku looked down at himself in wonder before quickly whipping his head back. At the top of the terrace, leaning on its railing, was Morgana. He looked hurt, leaning on the rail for support as he held his chest. Despite his obvious pain, the cat gave him a look of conviction. One that told him that this fight wasn't over. In that moment Izuku understood. Understood what he had to do. What they all had to do.

Izuku steadied himself up so that he stood on his own, his two friends pausing to watch him with concern. Looking up at Ryuji and Ann, Izuku gave them both a shaky grin. "Okay… let's beat him." seeing his resolve return, Ann and Ryuji smiled back.

Kamoshida finished his drink, letting out a hot breath and giggling like a drunk. "Heh. watching you rats scurry to your last bit of hope is pretty amusing. But it's not gonna do you a damn thing!" he cackled, reaching back and grabbing one of the golden balls that kept his cognitive slaves in place. Lifting it in front of him, the twisted Shadow of Kamoshida tossed it in the air. "Here comes my killshot!" jumping up from the ground, the palace ruler took aim at the three still struggling to make it behind the pillar. With one swift slam of his fist, the golden ball rocketed toward the ground. He couldn't see their exact position, but knew that the shockwave should be enough. It impacted against the ground like a speeding bullet, the ground giving way and creating a plume of rock and dust. Kamoshida cackled again in triumph, his monstrous lips twitching up into a sadistic grin.

"That should teach stupid brats to sit down and obey their superiors like proper brats. Adults rule this world. **I** rule this world! That school has its notoriety because of me! No matter how hard you fight it, you'll never win against me!" Kamoshida cackled out, his head leaning back as he reveled in his victory.

"Don't count us brats out just yet, bastard!" Kamoshida's taunting ceased, the mangled Shadow slowly straightening out to look back down at the thieves. Before he could react, a burst of flame erupted against his chalice, Kamoshida inhaling a breath in surprise.

"N-no! Don't touch that! You don't-" Kamoshida demanded, though fear and desperation laced his voice. Taking no heed of his words, a bolt of electricity crackled through the air, making the cup spark with life. Kamoshida reached down to grab it, dropping his wine cup in the process. Much to his displeasure, the electricity lingered across the chalice, causing him to recoil after getting shocked. "N-no! You little brats! You don't know how important this is!"

"Screw how important you think it is, asshole!" Ann exclaimed as she and Ryuji suddenly appeared before the chalice, electricity crackling around Ryuji's legs while he had an arm around her hip. The two quickly drew their weapons, Ryuji ignoring the familiar stinging pain in his knee as he swung forward with his iron pipe. With a heavy thud, their strikes caused a large crack to spread across the cup. "I promised from the beginning to destroy **everything** you hold dear! We'll start with this!"

"Damn it, don't you-" Kamoshida attempted to protest, only for something solid shoot him square in the eye from the terrace. Kamoshida couldn't stop them in time, Ryuji and Ann letting out wails of fury as they lashed out with all their strength. Striking the cup with great force, it tipped backward, the crack created before now spreading across its entirety. The Shadow opened its one good eye just in time to see it fall to the ground, finally shattering from the impact. As if to rub salt in the wound, the remaining pieces left from its demise degraded into black ooze, sinking into the ground.

"No~! How could you do that?! I won that cup at nationals!" Kamoshida's Shadow cried out pathetically,body completely trembling in uncontained anger. "You… you stupid **shits**! You think just because you broke that, that you still have a chance?! You're all still going to die! So stop struggling and just die already!" He roared out, raising the golden knife in his hand and bringing it down to cut the two in half.

Ryuji quickly wrapped an arm around Ann's waist, activating his Quirk once more and dashing them out of the way just in time. He was forced to stop just in front of the remaining pillar on the left of the room, the faux blond letting out a grunt of pain as he tripped forward, releasing Ann first to make sure she didn't tumble with him. "Skull!" Ann cried out, quickly scurrying to his side to help him up.

"Once worthless, always worthless, huh?!" Kamoshida mocked again, preparing to slam his whip into the ground to order his slaves to attack.

( **My Hero Academia OST: My Hero Academia)**

"Being a hero has nothing to do with whether you can do something or not…" Kamoshida hesitated for a moment, turning his attention away from the two to see Izuku at the center of the room, leaning on his staff for support while his free hand clawed at his mask. Drawing it away, Carter materialized above him. The porcelain skinned Persona's feet planted into the ground, gripping its right hand and cocking it slowly at his side. A white light started to radiate from his fist, blinding rays illuminating the room. Conviction and ferocity filled Izuku's gaze, the green haired teen inhaling a breath before continuing on.

"It's a hero's job to put his life on the line," Carter bent his knees forward before springing out, launching itself straight at the monstrous Kamoshida.

"And act up to their words!"

Kamoshida watched the approaching Persona in surprise, but quickly put up his guard. "Hah! You caught me off guard with that last hit, but if you think you can get me again, then you're sadly mis-"

"Now, **Mona**!" Izuku cried out, causing the Shadow to hesitate. In the next moment, Kamoshida suddenly felt the crown upon his head go flying off.

The Shadow gasped in shock, eyes widening in horror as it immediately dropped its guard and reached out for its falling crown. " **No~**!" He cried out in desperation, watching as The crown rolled across the ground. Soon after it, Morgana landed gently on his feet, grinning up at the Shadow wickedly.

"Sure you have enough time to worry about your Treasure?" Mona asked, pointing a paw to his left. Kamoshida felt its body stiffen, his erratic eyes aligning to look at the now looming figure of Carter just meters in front of him.

"This is for all the students you've hurt! For everyone that couldn't fight back!" Izuku roared furiously, the intensity of his voice rising with each word. Carter's fist began to brighten tremendously, making it nearly impossible to see past the Persona's great light. Kamoshida was wide open, guard dropped and vulnerable thanks to losing his treasure only moments ago. There was nothing left for Kamoshida to do except wait for the blow:

" **Virginia~ SMASH~!** "

Carter brought its fist around with great force, his fist driving right into Kamoshida's stomach. The Shadow's entire body felt a wave of pain blow through him, saliva and blood spewing from its mouth as the impact racked his entire light erupted in a wave of brilliance, Ryuji, Ann and Mona forced to shield their eyes from it. After a moment of taking the damage, the shockwave soon followed, the Shadow's entire body being launched back with great force, crashing into the staircase and dismantling it completely, dust and rock exploding around him.

Izuku took several slow breaths as he watched the destruction caused by his last ditch attack. Only a second later did he feel the muscles throughout his body tense in pain, far more severely than when he used his Quantico Smash."Ack!" He fell to one knee, unable to support his weight with his legs due to the pain. In spite of this though, Izuku refused to let his body fall to the ground. Gritting his teeth as he supported his full weight on his staff, he looked back up to the fading dust, wanting to confirm for himself that it was over. Mona rushed to his side, but followed his line of sight, Ann approaching them slowly while supporting Ryuji over her shoulder. None of them said a word, watching the dust clear with great anxiety. But as soon as the veil fell before their eyes, a smile spread across each of the thieve's faces.

Kamoshida's body had returned to his normal stature, bruises and scrapes racking its body all across it as it lay out in the crater created by the impact. He was still alive, the palace ruler letting out several low whines of pain as he rest there, unmoving.

Kamoshida's Shadow had been defeated. And the Phantom Thieves of Hearts had won.

 **To be continued…**

 **Phew, now was that an epic ride! I have to say, I was definitely struggling with how I wanted that final battle to go. It was a bit of trouble figuring out the smartest way to handle an enemy who was literally sitting at the center of the room the entire fight. I doubt that it would change much from how it was even if game mechanics were ruled out, as his body seemed too big to move freely in the throne room in the first place. Tell me how I did on it and let me know if I could have done something different.**

 **With that, this marks the end of the adventures within Kamoshida's castle! Of course, we still have a bit more to settle before the castle is completely gone, but that will come at the beginning of next chapter. As will the waiting game for the change of heart to take place.**

 **Now to state a bit of confusion as to certain aspects of the story/chapter: I'm still not completely sure how the physical attacks of Personas work to drain HP for their user, so I thought I'd give my take on it in this chapter. Generally the regular attacks like lunge only take a bit of health, they go close to unnoticed by Ryuji and whoever else might be using them. But in Izuku's case, the reason Carter's physical attacks are so severe on his body are 1: I thought it would be cool to emulate the blowback of One For All and 2: it mirrors how in game, if you use a Persona with far greater strength early on regardless of its level, the physical attacks will take a great portion of your health. Using this idea, I decided to make it so that Carter's physical moves are currently too much for Izuku's body to take over and over again, Virginia Smash being a perfect example of only being able to use the move once before it becomes far too critical for his body.**

 **Onto another smaller topic of confusion, I was a bit shaky about how the palace rulers suddenly become so powerful. From what I've guessed, I imagine that after materializing the Treasure serves as the Shadow's source of power. Now I've seen a bit of a different reason for their power up, but that's just what I thought. If I'm wrong, feel free to let me know and I might fix it lol.**

 **With that, I hope you all enjoyed the climax of the Kamoshida arc, and wish you all well! Please leave a review, a follow and possibly a favorite if you'd be so kind~! Thank you and have a good one :)**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I own neither My Hero Academia or Persona series**

Chapter 15

The Phantom Thieves of Hearts took a moment to observe Kamoshida's injured and bruised form, the Shadow in no position to oppose them any longer. After waiting for Kamoshida to attempt to get back up, the four relaxed as they became sure that he was no longer a threat. Morgana quickly cast Dia on Izuku, restoring some of his physical health so that he wasn't in so much pain. Bated breathing huffed from each of them, the adrenaline beginning to wear off. Izuku spared a glance around, looking to see the once gigantic crown revert back to the size a human could wear. Izuku slowly wobbled over to the Treasure, kneeling down slowly and picking it up off the ground. Holding it in his hand, Izuku felt a deep sense of accomplishment wash over him. Sparing a look back at his friends, Izuku gave them all a genuine grin.

"We… we did it!"

Ryuji and Ann looked up at Izuku, small smiles of their own spreading across their lips as they began to laugh. "Hell yeah!" Ryuji exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air. He turned to Ann, the two quickly giving one another a high five in their excitement.

"Let's save our little victory dance for after we get out of here." Morgana chuckled, no less as enthusiastic about their victory, but also trying to see reason. "Once the Treasure has been taken outside of the Palace, the cognition will crumble and Kamoshida will be changed… likely."

"Geez, why you gotta rain on our parade with your cryptic promise?" Ryuji sighed, looking back up at Izuku. "But I guess he's right. Let's hurry up and get outta this place. I'd say we've been in this shitty castle long enough to last a lifetime."

"Right. Let's go." Izuku nodded, putting the crown under his armpit and walking forward to meet his friends.

"No… y-you can't… please don't take it!" Izuku stopped in his tracks, quickly spinning around and getting on guard once he heard Kamoshida's voice. It immediately dropped though, his shoulders relaxing as he realized that Kamoshida was pitifully crawling out from the hole he made in the throne room wall. "That crown is… is my reward! It makes everything here possible!"

"That's right. And we're going to make sure that it all crumbles to the ground, you bastard." Ann spat, walking up with Ryuji and Morgana at her side to look down on the beaten Shadow.

"B-but it's what I earned! After everything I do for those vultures, reaping the benefits of my success! I've done so much for them and the school!" Kamoshida cried, teeth grinding anxiously as he struggled to grasp for an excuse. "Wh-what's wrong with demanding a reward for all my hard work!"

"Makin' up excuses now. Can you get any more pathetic?" Ryuji huffed, shaking his head. "Ain't no one gonna feel bad for you, Kamoshida. "But don't worry. Once we change your heart, you might seem less like a scumbag. Though that's not sayin' much…"

"Asking for a reward is one thing. But a reward that demands people take your beatings and have their lives ruined is beyond terrible. None of those you've hurt deserve to be treated like that just for your entertainment!" Izuku exclaimed, teeth gritting together as he felt his emotions bubble up and surface.

"Y-you don't know anything! All the pressure a-and the expectations! It got to me! I-I just-"

" **Shut up**!" Ann growled, immediately causing the Shadow to clam up and cower back from her. "Hearing you make excuses is making me sick! You're just trying to make light of everyone you've hurt!" Ann raised a hand to her mask, casting it aside and materializing Carmen behind her. The busty Persona stretched her arm out, picking Kamoshida up by his cape and raising him into the air. Kamoshida kicked and struggled in her grip, whining out in fear as Ann carried him across the room.

"Ann, what are you doing?" Ryuji asked, widening his eyes along with Izuku and Morgana as she moved to an open patio at the edge of the room. It overlooked the entire castle, and was a very far fall to the ground below.

"I'm showing him how Shiho felt." Ann declared, not looking back at the others as she stomped forward. Carmen hovered after her, Kamoshida still struggling in her grip to escape. "Now, Carmen." Ann ordered, her Persona giving a brisk nod before moving forward. Extending her arm over the edge of the patio, Carmen now suspended Kamoshida over the edge, causing the Shadow to squeal in fear.

"N-n-no! Please d-don't! I-I'll do anything!" Kamoshida begged, looking back at Ann with the fear of death plastered across his face.

"Scared, huh?! This is how Shiho felt! Afraid and out of options! Nowhere to go but down! Do you get how she feels now, you sick son of a bitch?!" Ann exclaimed, tears forming at the edge of her eyes.

"A-Ann-sempai, you don't want to do this!" Izuku cried out, causing the twin tailed blonde to hesitate in her rant. "I-I know it's tempting, bu-but if you do this… you'll cause the real Kamoshida to have a mental breakdown, and-"

"At this point, I could care less!" Ann exclaimed, looking back at Izuku and causing him to flinch. "After everything, he deserves whatever happens to him! And I plan to give it to him…" she turned her attention back to Kamoshida, her hand shaking at her side.

"N-no, Lady Ann! You don't understand! Izuku will-" Morgana began but was too late, watching in fear as Ann raised her arm. Carmen flexed her arm, making a motion that slowly began to lower Kamoshida.

"Please, no-"

Only to whip him back and toss Kamoshida on the ground in front of Ann, the Shadow coughing in pain as he sprawled out on his stomach in front of Ann. "As much as you deserve it, you wouldn't be able to admit your crimes if you died." Izuku, Ryuji and Morgan felt their bodies relax at that, convinced for a brief moment that Ann might actually go through with ending Kamoshida.

"What…" Kamoshida mumbled, pushing off the ground and sitting on his knees. "What do I do..? I've lost… I've lost everything. Once you've lost in life, it's over for you… where do I go from here...?" Despite his previous pride and overconfidence, here Kamoshida's Shadow now groveled before them. Defeated and completely humbled. Izuku's eyes softened, releasing a soft sigh. He felt no sympathy for Kamoshida, but he knew what needed to be said.

"Repent for your sins. You can't make up for all the damage you've done to everyone, but you can own up to it." Izuku said, his voice coming out firm rather than soft. "You've left scars on a lot of students. They'll be able to begin fading away once you've admitted what you've done. It's the best thing you can do for them now."

Kamoshida closed his eyes, water misting the Shadow's eyes as he gave a small smile of understanding. A strange white light started to surround his body, causing the four to widened their eyes in surprise. "All right. I will return to my real self… and make certain that I-" Before he could finish, the Shadow was enveloped by the light, disappearing altogether in front of them. No words could be spoken by the thieves, though, as the entire building began to shake violently.

"We don't have time to waste. With the Palace ruler gone, it'll have the same effect on this world as the treasure being taken." Morgana quickly explained, causing the others to look at him in shock.

"What?! Why didn't you mention that before?!" Ryuji complained, only for Izuku to quickly grip his shoulder.

"We don't have time to argue, let's go!" He told him, Izuku's words quickly reinforced as the terrace above them began to fall apart from the tremors around them. No one argued, quickly following after Izuku as he began to run for the exit. Descending down the winding stairs with all their speed, Izuku led them to the closest hallway, recalling their previous path on a dime. "This way!" Izuku shouted, skidding against the ground as he made a quick 90 degree turn.

"We're gonna die! We're gonna die!" Ann cried out in fear, the constant shaking and collapsing building around them further strengthening her fear.

"J-just keep goin'! We're almost out!" Ryuji shouted, doing his best to keep Ann from getting distracted by the impending doom falling around their ears. That became difficult as a piece of rubble fell in their path, though not large enough to stop them completely.

"Jump! Don't slow down!" Izuku huffed out, pushing through the exhaustion he felt. While Morgana had healed the muscle strain with Dia, his stamina was still completely depleted and left him running on fumes for this last push.

As the four evaded the rubble, Izuku widened his eyes as a light at the end of the tunnel quite literally materialized. "Almost there, don't stop!" He called out, pointing forward as he put the last of his energy into picking up speed. Much to his surprise, he felt a small albeit familiar weight hop on top of his shoulders, Izuku blinking in surprise as he looked sideways to see Morgana perched there. But instead of the small mascot form that he was used to seeing in the cognitive world, Morgana was now in his cat form.

"Mrroww~!" Morgana suddenly purred, causing the two behind them to blink.

"What the hell?! Why's he a cat again?!" Ryuji cried out in confusion before his face contorted in pain. Looking down at his leg, Ryuji suddenly felt a familiar pain flame up in his right knee, letting out a croak of pain as he suddenly tumbled on the ground.

"Ryuji!" Ann and Izuku cried in concern, immediately coming to a stop and running to help the faux blond to his feet.

"I-it's okay. My knee just took some damage earlier, is all." Ryuji said, trying to dismiss their concerns. A violent tremor quickly reminded them of their current predicament, the four looking back to see the hallway they came from beginning to collapse in on itself. "Oh crap!" He cried out, quickly turning forward and accepting the helping hand of Izuku to stand him up. Not wasting anymore time, the three sprinted with all their might, Ryuji doing his best to ignore the throbbing pain in his knee.

"We're not gonna make it!"

"Don't stop! It's so close!"

"This effin' **sucks~**!"

* * *

Izuku wasn't sure how or why, but the four of them suddenly found themselves back in the alleyway leading to Shujin Academy. His lungs screamed in need of oxygen, but Izuku first looked to his friends to reassure himself that they had all made it out. Ann and Ryuji were leaning against the wall of the alley opposite of him, the former leaning on her knees while the latter had his back pressed up against it. Their thief outfits were gone, replaced by their typical school clothes once again. Looking down, he saw that Morgana seemed completely fine, the feline currently licking the fur of his foreleg. Seeing that they had all made it out, Izuku took a deep breath of relief. "We… made it…"

"Just barely, I thought. I honestly thought we were gonners for a sec…" Ryuji huffed out, giving a dumb grin in appreciation.

"Yeah. Your knee acting up at the end was pretty scary…" Ann admitted, pushing off her knees to stand up straight. "Looks like we all made it out in one piece, though."

A moment later, the three suddenly heard a tone chime from each of their phones. Blinking, Ryuji was the first to pull his out and widen his eyes. "Dude, look at the nav!"

Izuku quickly pulled out his phone, opening it up and clicking on the familiar icon.

" _The destination has been deleted."_

"So it's true. We can't go there anymore." Ann mused aloud, looking up from her phone to the others.

"W-wait, where's the treasure?! You had it, right Izuku?" Morgana asked, looking up at the green haired teen in panic.

"Don't worry, Morgana-san. I still have it." Izuku reassured, reaching into his pocket before producing the Treasure. However, it was no longer a crown. In its place was an olympic gold medal. "I felt it start to change size as we were getting closer to the exit, so I put it away before we got back."

"W-wait, what? But… why's it a medal now?!" Ann blinked, taking a step closer and inspecting it for herself.

"The treasure took the form of what caused Kamoshida's heart and desires to become distorted." Morgana explained, drawing their attention to him now. "To him, this medal is as valuable as that crown we saw in the Palace."

"Makes sense. The guy was hangin' on to his past glory and let it get to his head in a big way." Ryuji huffed, though feeling satisfied to know that it was definitely over now.

"So-he's going to change, right? His heart should have changed after everything we did." Ann asked, looking down at the cat for answers.

"I mean, yeah… most likely." Morgana said, looking to the side and showing some doubt.

"Dude, we're gonna get expelled if you're wrong!" Ryuji exclaimed, causing the cat to wince back from him.

"G-guys, I think it's okay." Izuku cut in, stopping them from jumping all over the cat for his doubt. "I'm willing to believe Morgana-san when he says his heart should change. We just have to wait and see." he reasoned, looking down at Morgana. "Do you know how long it should take for his heart to be affected?"

"Not entirely sure, to be honest. It should have begun the moment his Palace collapsed. Whether we'll see results for it immediately is the question." Morgana admitted, rubbing his face with a paw. "I'm sorry that I'm not completely sure. This is the first time I've seen a successful heist of a heart for myself."

"Damn it, I wanna be happy, but I'm effin' antsy about how things turned out!" Ryuji groaned, scratching his head furiously. "Why don't we go find him and see if he's changed any?"

"I think we should be patient, Ryuji-sempai. We'll find out tomorrow if he's changed at all, won't we?" Izuku suggested, though he couldn't hide his own anxiety over the situation as he rubbed his arm.

Morgana looked around at them, frowning as he could feel the tension suffocating the air. "Come on, guys. Cheer up. The hard part of it all is over and Suguru Kamoshida's heart was definitely affected by what was done. You should all be happy!"

"We just don't know if everything is alright, yet." Ryuji admitted with a sigh, looking up at Izuku. "Hell, it's even worse for Izuku I bet. You've got way more on the line then I do. It's just a good thing Ann didn't cream his Shadow in the end, right?"

"Yeah, that would have been catastrophic. Good job holding yourself back, Lady Ann. That would have been pretty bad for Izuku here." Morgana smiled, turning his attention to Ann. Despite their words, Ann could only blink in confusion.

"What are you talking about? Why would it have mattered for Izuku?" Ann asked, causing the three to stiffen. They each looked at one another before looking back up at Ann.

"Crap… did we forget to tell her?" Ryuji muttered, glancing at Izuku.

"I-I just thought it wasn't important to bring up since we had our goal in mind…" Izuku mumbled out, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

"I'm uh… I'm sorry. I thought that it was among the things you discussed with her." Morgana coughed, looking down in shame.

"What am I missing? Did something happen?" Ann asked, blinking as her confusion continued to build up.

"W-well, I guess it's not important now, but-" Izuku began, only for Ryuji to interject.

"Izuku was plannin' to turn himself in if Kamoshida has a mental breakdown. He didn't like the idea of killing the guy, so he figured if things went wrong and he does end up dying, he'd take responsibility." Ryuji explained simply enough, causing Ann to widen her eyes in disbelief.

" **What?!** "

"R-Ryuji-sempai!" Izuku whined, biting his bottom lip as he was exposed to the blonde.

"She does deserve to know, Izuku. It's not fair to keep it from her." Morgana cut him off, looking up with a bit of sympathy.

"Why didn't you guys **tell** me?! I was seriously thinking about killing him there for a second!" Ann exclaimed in frustration, causing the three to recoil in fear.

"I-it honestly slipped my mind! We had to catch you up on everything and I totally blanked!" Ryuji said, holding his hands up in surrender.

"I… I have no excuse. I'm sorry, Lady Ann…" Morgana sighed, bowing his head in apology.

"W-we should have brought it up before, Ann-sempai, I know, but…" Izuku muttered, trying not to wince as she turned a glare his way. "... I was really proud of the choice you made. I was… happy to see you made the right choice on your own."

"You're lucky I did! Damn it…" Ann huffed, rubbing her forehead in irritation. "Just… clue me in next time, would you?" The three immediately nodded their heads in acceptance. "Good. Now let's get out of here. I'm completely exhausted."

"Sounds good. I could sleep for a week after all that…" Ryuji grunted, rubbing his neck tiredly. With that, the four walked out of the alleyway, heading to the train station together before inevitably heading home alone.

* * *

Izuku couldn't have been more happy to see the neon sign of Leblanc hanging overhead. It was strange to just come from all of the peril and drama that accompanied the Palace to going home like nothing so life changing had just taken place. Walking in, Sojiro was loitering behind the bar, same as usual. Looking around, Leblanc was void of any customers, something that was far too familiar of a sight for Izuku to feel comfortable about. A coffee shop needed customers after all, right?

"Oh, you're back." Sojiro said, eyes lazily shifting to regard Izuku.

"Yeah, I am. I'm really beat, too." Izuku chuckled tiredly, sluggishly dragging his feet forward as he made one last push to the stairs leading to his room.

"I can tell. But you also look pretty satisfied, too." Sojiro remarked, giving him a sideways look as he sipped on a cup of coffee. "That's good to see considering you've been walking around like you've got a chip on your shoulder."

Izuku stopped in his heavy footed stride and looked at Sojiro, blinking in surprise. "O-oh… sorry if I was bothering you like that… some good things happened today, is all."

"It's fine. It's just nice to see you don't look like a kicked puppy anymore. Maybe that cat was a good idea, after all." Sojiro chuckled, leaning forward on the bar. "But don't get too comfortable. Life likes to hit us when things start going our way."

"R-right." Izuku sheepishly nodded, knowing that it was Sojiro's style to be neutral on most subjects. He was a fairly guarded man despite his smaller que's that hinted at his sincerity. With nothing more to say, Izuku trudged up the stairs of the shop, ready to collapse the moment he saw his bed. He heard the tone of his phone chime from his pocket, but didn't make to answer it immediately, instead allowing himself to sprawl out in the sheets on his stomach. Part of him didn't want to check his phone, wishing to allow himself to fall asleep right then and there. But wanting to be considerate of whoever messaged him, Izuku weakly felt for the phone in his pocket, sliding it out and peeking at the contact name.

"Ann-sempai…" Izuku muttered, lifting his head a bit higher to see read the message with more attention.

 _Ann: Thank you. Because of you guys, I was able to get revenge for Shiho. Though I suppose it was from both of us for her, huh?_

 _Ann: Either way, thank you so much. I don't know where I'd be at if it wasn't for you and Ryuji. Morgana, too. I owe you a lot._

Izuku gave a small smile, happy to see that Ann was able to resolve the chip on her shoulder as he had.

 _Izuku: You don't owe me anything. I'm glad we could help you out. I'm sure Suzui-sempai will be happy to know too._

 _Ann: No, really. I owe you guys a lot. But yeah. I'm excited to tell her. I'm gonna be visiting her for the next few days, so i probably won't see much of you guys for a bit. But once everything cools down, we should totally do something to celebrate._

 _Izuku: That sounds good. I'm sure Ryuji-sempai would be happy to hear that._

 _Ann: Awesome. Hopefully this whole thing will be behind us soon._

 _Ann: Still the cognitive world is so strange. Its like a dream that we experienced in real life._

 _Ann: speaking of that, what was up with Morgana's transformation? Why'd he turn back into a cat while we were still in the palace?_

"I'm happy to see Lady Ann is thinking of me." Morgana chuckled, the cat plopping down on Izuku's shoulder and peering at the messages. "You see, in the cognitive world the Treasure manipulates the shape of things, like with your clothes and my appearance. Once the cognition started to fail, the change was beginning to falter. Though the reason I changed my appearance first was because I'm just that good, after all."

Izuku felt a bead of sweat trickle down his brow after hearing Morgana's strange boasting, but turned back to his phone.

 _Izuku: Morgana said its because the cognition started to fail. As well as because he's skilled I guess._

"What do you mean you guess?!"

"N-nothing…" Izuku chuckled quietly.

 _Ann: Oh right, Morgana's with you. I forgot he reads your messages too._

 _Ann: Well anyway, Im headed to bed. I'm gonna thank Ryuji for everything, too. Thanks for chatting with me. I feel better now after talking to you._

 _Ann: I know we haven't seen the result, but I'm holding hope that it really is over. It's a huge weight off my shoulders._

 _Ann: Sorry if I'm droning on too long. I don't wanna be a bother._

 _Izuku: Not at all. I'm glad you are willing to talk to me about this stuff, Ann-sempai._

 _Ann: That's good to hear. Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow._

Izuku bid his farewell for the night before placing his face snugly against his pillow. Despite lacking an immediate answer to whether or not it worked, Izuku was sure he would sleep well tonight. Their result was going to be revealed tomorrow, right? No need to feel anymore anxious than need be.

* * *

"Hey, any sign of Kamoshida?"

"N-no, none at all." Izuku muttered, biting his bottom lip in worry. Izuku had arrived at the school just a bit early to see if he could catch sight of Kamoshida in hopes of ascertaining his current state. Unfortunately, he couldn't find him anywhere on campus. After texting Ryuji about it, the two met up for lunch to look for him. "I hoped you might have seen him since we last texted."

"Nah, I haven't seen him either. It's makin' me nervous…" Ryuji admitted, rolling his shoulder anxiously. "W-we did everything right, right?"

"Of course." Morgana answered, popping his head out slightly to look at Ryuji. "We didn't even kill the Shadow. Everything should work out… probably. So stop worrying."

"Your vague answers ain't helpin', you know?!" Ryuji complained, scratching his head furiously.

"Hey, you two." Morgana silently slipped back into Izuku's bag, the two students stiffening slightly as they turned to regard Kawakami as she approached. "I'm just informing you both that there will be no P.E. today. You will be having study hall instead until further notice."

"W-wait, why? What happened?" Ryuji asked anxiously.

"Kamoshida-sensei has taken the day off." Kawakami said, causing the two to widen their eyes.

"He's not here?" Izuku blurted out, far too curious to stop himself. "I-is he sick?"

Kawakami peered around them, eyes narrowed as if making sure no one was close enough to listen to their conversation. "Don't tell anyone you heard this from me, but… we received a call from Kamoshida-sensei." She explained, causing them to lean in closer as she had hushed her voice. "Apparently he's placing himself on suspension. Principal Kobayakawa went to his house to talk sense into him as the big tournament is coming up, but-"

"Suspension?!" Ryuji exclaimed, having little regard for his own volume of voice, even causing Izuku to flinch as he wasn't prepared for it.

"Not so loud!" Kawakami quietly reprimanded before shaking her head. "Anyway, yeah. I've informed you both of the situation. Make sure you go to study hall instead for your P.E. period." With that, the tired looking teacher turned her back to them before leaving. Ryuji and Izuku loosened up their shoulders, letting out breaths of relief before looking at one another.

"I guess that's a good sign, right?" Ryuji said, kicking the the ground with his foot. "I mean he didn't have a mental breakdown as far as we know."

"Y-yeah, I suppose so…" Izuku muttered, a small silence falling between the two. As positive as they would like to be about the situation, the absence of Kamoshida was still causing them both a bit of apprehension.

"Hey, chins up. Stopping being so negative." Morgana tried to encourage them, popping his head out form the bag once again. "This is a good sign. No mental breakdown and an obvious change has overtaken Kamoshida. All you have to do is wait for it to come out for everyone to hear."

Ryuji and Izuku looked up at Morgana, a sigh escaping the faux blond. "Guess we don't really have much choice. We should probably let Ann know."

"I'm sure she's heard from Kawakami-sensei, too. I think she has her for homeroom." Izuku suggested, tilting his head down in thought. "I wonder if… I should let Koto-san know…"

"Oh, I'm well aware of this development." Izuku felt his entire body tense as a hand suddenly gripped his shoulder, the green haired teen slowly cranking his head to see Makoto now standing there, a dark smile on her face. Ryuji jumped back in shock, the third year's presence having gone unnoticed by him. "From the sound of it, you had a role in this, right?"

"K-Koto-san… h-hi…" Izuku awkwardly laughed, sweat beginning to pour down his face.

"S-so I'm gonna grab lunch…" Ryuji muttered, slowly turning around and getting ready to leave.

"Not until I hear what happened." Makoto said with finality, the sternness in her voice immediately causing Ryuji to freeze in place. "What exactly did you guys do?" Makoto asked, turning her attention back to Izuku, the green haired teen trembling in her grip. "The situation is unprecedented. There's no way that you guys just went and beat him up or something. He suspended himself and was apparently talking irrationally. It has to be something else…" Makoto blinked, eyes widening as her grip on Izuku's shoulder loosened a bit. "Midori, did you… develop a Quirk?"

Izuku opened his mouth but closed it. He had planned to tell her everything once they had beaten Kamoshida, but there was still the problem of knowing the results. Izuku wanted to let her know the truth when they were in the clear. When he didn't have to worry about his own expulsion. Even with the danger gone, "N-no, it's not a Quirk, but… it's complicated… I just know that this isn't over yet."

"It's not? What do you mean?" Makoto raised a brow, releasing his shoulder finally to let him relax. "What else are you waiting for?"

"Well you see, the whole point of this was to make Kamoshida confess to everything he did." Ryuji declared, causing Makoto to raise a brow. "He's actin' weird or somethin', we get that, but it's not what were were hoping for."

"Even though he hasn't done it yet, it's a good sign that he's changed somehow." Izuku said this time, tilting his head and holding his chin. "As things are right now, it's just the waiting game before we find out if our plan worked or not… though I'm fairly confident it has."

"Wait-wait, stop. Confess to his crimes? If it's not a Quirk, how is it you could get him to do that?" Makoto asked, her confusion only growing over the situation before her eyes widened. "W-wait, did you guys find evidence and blackmail him with it? Is that what's going on?"

"N-no, Koto-san. Nothing like that, it's just…" Izuku didn't know how to find the right words. Not for explaining the phenomena that was the Cognitive World. He didn't even have the time to explain it if he wanted to, the lunch bell ringing to signify its end. Looking back up at Makoto who eyed him with suspicion, Izuku gave a small sigh, his eyes casting to the ground. "I-I told you that when this was all over I would explain, right? Well… it's not over yet, Koto-san. So please… wait a little longer."

Makoto frowned, once again feeling a pang of dejection from Izuku's words. Frustration bubbled up inside of her, wanting to push the subject further and be in the loop. But Makoto suppressed her feelings, trying to take Izuku's position into consideration. Still, it was difficult for her to let it go. "Fine. Have it your way." Makoto huffed, turning around without bidding goodbye, heading for her own class.

Izuku watched her leave, guilt beginning to fill his heart. "Maybe I… just should have told her…" Izuku muttered, reaching up and rubbing his neck.

"You said you'd explain it in due time. But you certainly need to learn how to treat a woman better. Especially one who's going out of her way to try and help." Morgana scolded though he was mostly joking, hoping to alleviate the mood. Judging from Izuku's deepening frown, his humor failed to get through.

"Come on. We should get to class." Ryuji suggested, patting Izuku's shoulder as he walked past him. With little else to discuss, Izuku followed his lead, heading to his next period.

* * *

"Aw, man! This sure brings me back!" Ryuji laughed, sweat glistening off his skin. School had moved at a snail pace for him and Izuku after hearing the news and speaking with Makoto. With the Palace gone and Kamoshida out of commission, the faux blond asked Izuku to work out with him. The two were currently in their school gym fatigues, taking their training to a small back area of the school. They had just finished with their warm ups

The green haired teen was stretching his legs out, trying to get them loose enough for a run. "I'm honestly surprised you wanted to work out so soon after yesterday…" Izuku said honestly, though he himself didn't mind the idea.

"Yeah, normally I might not after all that, but I kinda needed to get some steam off. I'm still antsy about what's gonna happen with Kamoshida, but this definitely helps get some of the butterflies out." Ryuji admitted, stretching his arms out as he did a rolling arm swing. "Plus, I was feelin' pretty crappy when we were moving around in the castle. I just don't move like I used to, you know? Didn't have a reason to work out much after I stopped track."

"Ah, I see. It's been kind of the same for me." Izuku admitted, wiping the sweat of his brow on his sleeve. "Before I came here, I was training really hard to try and take the UA entrance exams. After everything that happened though, I stopped working out as often. It honestly feels pretty good to be active like this again. Well, and not have our lives at stake." he half joked, eliciting a small chuckle from Ryuji.

"Yeah, I totally get that. With that in mind, I say that from now on, we should be work out pals. It's always nice to have someone to help you stay in shape and keep ya accountable. So I'll make sure we both get some good workouts in." Ryuji suggested, earning a nod of acceptance from the green haired teen. "Alright, let's get to sprinting. I'm gonna do some knee high sprints. You can do normal ones or try them out, too. Up to you."

"Sprints? Are you sure you can do that?" Izuku asked with a bit of shock. "Your knee is bad so you might hurt it again." He remembered how bad it was for Ryuji in their escape from the castle. He had been fine up to that point, but had a rather serious tumble during their desperate dash out of the palace.

"My knee isn't that bad now. It hurts like hell when I use my Quirk and stuff, but I can run without too much problem. With how scared shitless of dyin' we were, I wasn't paying much attention to how my knee was doing is all." Ryuji suggested, beginning to jog in place. "Now no more delay, let's get goin'!"

"O-oh, right!" Izuku quickly nodded, doing as ordered and running at Ryuji's side. The two took a long sprint around the school. Izuku, even after going through some of his own tough training, he was barely able to keep pace with Ryuji at first. Even doing his more physically exerting form of knee high sprints, Ryuji was fast. Izuku was no less impressed by his form and speed, trying his best to stay at Ryuji's side through the rest of the run. As they started to near the end though, Ryuji's pace began to slow, his knee highs reduced to a normal sprint. Izuku could see on his face how much the running was starting to strain him, especially his knee. Despite the pain he might be in, Ryuji made sure to finish their lap without stopping his stride. Once the two arrived back at his training spot, Izuku slowed to a stop, putting his hands behind his head and opening his lungs up to breath in more air.

"D-damn it, my legs are friggin' on fire…" Ryuji huffed out, leaning forward on his knees. "I-I really am outta shape. That used to be… nothing."

"You're still really fast, I was surprised." Izuku admitted, giving his partner a small smile as he caught his breath. "You must have been… really fast during track."

"Like you wouldn't believe, dude." Ryuji chuckled, turning sideways to look at Izuku. "I was fastest on my team, once upon a time. Though that's not to say the others were slow. Our track team was actually the biggest thing at Shujin for a bit…" He excitedly said, but his smile quickly faded as his eyes hardened. "That was until… Kamoshida, of course."

"He wasn't always the coach here?" Izuku asked, his air intake slowing enough to be silent.

"Yeah. In fact, he didn't get here 'til last year. Kamoshida didn't start with me to ruin the track team, he started with our coach." Ryuji explained, teeth gritting together in anger as he tapped his foot incessantly. "Ended up getting him fired and took over as our sub. But he couldn't stop there. He started makin' us do crazy effin' workouts. He'd work us half to death then he'd pile more shit on top of what we already did!"

"He wanted you all out of the way. He wanted to make his own spotlight." Izuku knowingly said, Ryuji nodding in confirmation for him.

"That bastard picked on me, especially. He knew I… I had a short temper. That I'd fight back eventually." Ryuji admitted, though shame colored his expression now. "He would cuss me out if I wasn't fast enough, make me do extra sprints, and on top of that talked major shit about… about my parents."

Izuku saw Ryuji's expression fall, taking a moment to realize that Kamoshida said more than just some curses about his parents. "If… if you don't want to talk about it, we don't have to." Izuku offered, knowing that it was likely a very personal matter. Looking up at him, Ryuji seemed to consider the idea before shaking his head.

"Nah, it's alright. I feel like if I can tell anyone, it'd be you." Ryuji said, pushing off his knees and standing straight. "To tell you the truth, my mom is the only one I got. My dad was a piece of shit drunk. Sometimes he'd even beat on me… or worse, my mom. And of course, somehow Kamoshida found out. Aired it out and hung the whole thing in my face in front of the rest of my team. So I just lost it and threw a punch. Of course, that seemed to be what he wanted…"

"I'm guessing he used it as grounds enough to shutdown the team. But he still got away with breaking your knee in the process?" Izuku asked, feeling a familiar anger boil up inside him for the teacher.

"Yeah… called it 'self defense'. Used me to end it all for my team. Now the guys all treat me like a traitor… and they're not wrong. Because of me, we lost a chance at the championship. We woulda gone all state. I'm confident enough to say maybe even nationals." Ryuji sighed, his head hanging low in disappointment. "I don't blame 'em for being mad at me. But it still sucks…"

Izuku looked down in thought, feeling some sympathy for his friend. Hearing about the rest of Ryuji's team, one question in particular stuck out: why didn't they stand up for him? Ryuji was singled out and had his dirty laundry aired out in front of them. And they only stood there and let it happen. Just like the students and teachers of his old school stood there and let him be bullied. Ryuji's team might not have done it out of amusement or carelessness like they did, but they were just as guilty of allowing their teammate to suffer, picked out of the group to be Kamoshida's biggest victim. Izuku wanted to ask Ryuji why, but couldn't. Considering his guilt over the situation, it was likely that Ryuji didn't consider their idleness to be a betrayal of its own.

"Do you… want to go back to them?" Izuku ended up asking, looking up at Ryuji curiously. The faux blond bit his bottom lip, looking up to the sky as if it would have the answer.

"Kinda but… kinda not. Things'll never be the same with them, even if what we did makes Kamoshida confess. Those guys probably won't forgive me, and… hell, I'd say I've got my best teammate right here now, anyways." Ryuji said, turning a dumb grin up to Izuku, causing the green haired teen to blink in surprise. "Same goes for Ann. And Morgana too, I guess. So I'm gonna let it go and stay in the present. I'm ready to move on and think about what's ahead for us. Sound good, partner?"

Izuku was surprised by the maturity of Ryuji's statement, the punk showing him a new side of himself by his willingness to move on. It was likely thanks to their actions, but nonetheless it was impressive to Midoriya. It was inspiring, if Izuku were honest. Until they had gone to the cognitive world, Izuku couldn't stop thinking about how he could never be a hero now. But now, with new friends at his side, those thoughts had drifted to the back of his mind. Together they had taken down a true villain, even if it was illegal. They had become heroes of a different kind. And they all now had a chance to move on with their lives.

Giving a small smile, Izuku gave a heavy nod. "Yeah. Let's keep pushing forward." He agreed, holding up his hand. Ryuji laughed and high fived him, though with enough force that it caused Izuku's hand to whip back, the green haired teen laughing sheepishly as he rolled his arm.

 ***SMASH***

Izuku blinked, looking up as the world darkened around him and a familiar chainlink and card formed before his eyes.

 **Chariot Link: LEVEL TWO**

Izuku felt odd watching the link upgrade, unsure if it was good that it might strengthen his Persona, or bad because part of him felt it somehow diminished the meaning of his friendship with Ryuji. Looking back at the punk teen, Izuku pushed such questions away and smiled. Whatever the case with the Confidant Links were, they wouldn't damage the way he viewed Ryuji. His first true friend in a long time.

 ***ring ring***

"Hey, I think both our phones went off. Must be Ann or somethin'." Ryuji informed him, causing the green haired teen to raise a brow. He looked over to their gym bags sitting on the grass several meters away from them, the two digging in their bags to fish out their phones. Looking at the chat log, Ann's name slid across the screen. Opening it up, the two read her message. In an instant, their eyes widened in complete shock.

 _Ann: Shiho is awake!_

* * *

Ann walked through the sliding doors to the urgent care wing of the hospital. At this point, Ann had become far too familiar with the song and dance of visiting this place. The desk clerk was basically familiar enough to remember her name since she had visited almost every day. The sound of heart rate monitors and the sterile stench that hung in the air were almost unnoticeable to the twin tailed blonde by now. Still, despite the routine that she had become accustomed to, Ann could never shake the feeling of dread that washed over her every time she walked through the doors. The thought that every time she walked through those doors, just one of the visits could drastically change. Shiho was stable, but she heard the doctors say before that she wasn't completely out of the woods. She still had much to keep fighting through.

Ann shook her head, trying to brush the thoughts away. She would act like normal. She wouldn't let the dark ideas fill her mind. Like always, she walked up to the now familiar female clerk, offering a plastic smile. "Hi. I'm here to visit Suzui Shiho."

The clerk looked up, giving a smile. One that was brighter than usual, surprisingly. "Ah, Takamaki-san. Feel free to sign yourself in and go ahead. I figured you would be here after the news came in."

Ann blinked, looking up at the clerk with a raised brow. "News? What news?"

The clerk blinked for a moment before breathing in. "Oh, you don't know? I think you should hurry and see your friend. Something good has happened."

"Something good...?" Ann repeated quietly, blinking in confusion. Looking down the hall, Ann suddenly took off, forgetting to sign in like she was supposed to. A mixture of feelings welled up, pushing her legs to move faster and faster down the hall. _No way… is she actually…_ her emotions started to overwhelm her, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. The voices of patients and doctors were nothing but noise, her greatest concern giving her tunnel vision to her destination. The door was just ahead of her, yet it felt like miles away. She was ready to push the door open with a slam, wanting to see her best friend's condition without wasting another moment. But just as she arrived, the door slowly creaked open before she could grab the doorknob. Ann hesitated, eyes widening as she looked down at a much shorter old woman, not even half Ann's height. Despite her small size, Ann immediately recognized her; a face she only dreamed of seeing so close since Shiho's hospitalization: Recovery Girl.

"My, my. Aren't you in a hurry. You should take a moment to slow down and catch your breath, young lady." Recovery Girl admonished, leaning on her syringe shaped cane for support.

"Recovery Girl… you're really here…" Ann muttered, a smile of relief and joy spreading across her lips as she looked up at the closed door behind the old woman. "You really came…"

"Of course. When a teenager desperately calls for a heroes help, they answer as soon as possible." Recovery Girl chuckled, reaching into her white coat and pulling out a stack of papers attached to a clipboard. "It's nice to see when kids try and support those who need it, these days. Sometimes they forget being a hero really means. You should thank this Mishima boy who sent this petition to me whenever you get the chance."

"O-of course, thank you!" Ann nodded quickly, wiping away the tears of joy that were streaming down her cheeks. "So is she all better now? Did you-"

"Now wait just a moment. She's not fully recovered."

Ann froze at that, her heart skipping a beat. "What?"

"Don't worry, she's out of any danger of dying. But for now, I've left her legs and arms in a state of stiffness so that she can't walk on her own just yet." Recovery Girl explained, Ann blinking in shock.

"Wh-what? Why? Were they that badly injured, or-"

"I did it on purpose." The fabled rescue hero declared, causing Ann to completely freeze. "Now before you get too riled up, I-"

"Why would you **do** that?! If you can heal her completely, then-"

" **Quiet**!" Recovery Girl demanded, cutting Ann off and causing the twin tailed blonde to recoil from the volume of her voice. Giving a deep sigh, Recovery Girl's expression became more sullen. "The reason that I've held off on fully healing her body is because I want to know the state of her mental health. This girl just attempted suicide and was in a coma. Now it's not completely common, but sometimes when a one makes an attempt and fails, they try again. I want to be sure that before she is walking around on her own that she's in a stable state that such is no longer a worry."

Ann's previous rage had fizzled, Recovery Girl's words making a lot of sense. She didn't like it, but she understood. Looking up at the door, Ann's lips morphed into a thin line. "How is she, then?"

"As far as mentally, she doesn't seem to be thinking of doing it again. The doctors here are going to continue watching her closely. I'll be back every day for the next week to check on her condition. Once I'm confident that her mental state is more stable, I'll heal the rest of her injuries." The elderly hero explained, looking up at Ann with a more gentle smile. "It's good that you're stopping by, though. She needs as much care from her friends as she can get. Help her make it clear to us and herself that she's no longer in such a state of mind. Okay?"

Ann looked up at the door, sniffling a bit as she failed to mask her emotions. "Th-thank you… I'm sorry for getting upset." Ann apologized, only receiving a giggle from the elderly hero.

"Don't mention it. It shows how much you care. Now go on, I won't hold you back any longer. If you come by again tomorrow, I'm sure we'll see each other again." Recovery Girl said, giving her one last encouraging wrinkled smile before walking past the twin tailed blonde. Ann followed the elderly hero with her eyes before turning back to the door. Taking a deep breath, Ann slowly reached forward and pushed the door open. Inside, her heart nearly leapt at the sight of Shiho sitting up in her bed. But what joy she felt quickly faded as she began to observe her best friend's details a bit closer. Bags now rested under her lids and her eyes were half open, looking completely exhausted despite likely recently waking up.

"Hey, Ann." Shiho croaked out, her voice weak and a bit parched. She gave a faint smile, though Ann could easily see how forced it was. "You came."

Ann stared for a moment, trying to sort out her torrent of emotions after seeing Shiho awake. She was happy no doubt, but seeing her in such a diminished state still stung at her heart. Ann perished her thoughts, putting on a as happy of a smile as she could muster. "Hey, Shiho… I have to say… you look like garbage." Ann admitted jokingly, though part of her regretted it, thinking that Shiho might take it seriously.

Much to her relief, her best friend mustered up a weak laugh, though it caused her to cough a little. "Well, you know me… I've always had the worst bed hea-" Shiho broke into a fit of coughs, her voice sounding parched. Looking around, Ann found a bottle of water with a straw in the top at the side of her bed, quickly reaching for it and putting it to Shiho's lips. Her friend sipped with some vigor, thankful for Ann's help as her arms moved stiffly up at her sides. "Thanks… I probably should have told her how thirsty I was."

"No kidding." Ann gave a half hearted giggle, pulling a chair up next to her bed and taking a seat. There were quite a few things she wanted to say, but first she would ask the most important: "How are you feeling?"

"Alright, all things considered. I can't move my arms and legs because… well, you know." Shiho mumbled, eyes cast down to her stiff limbs. Ann figured she heard their argument outside, they weren't exactly quiet.

"Do you… think it's necessary?" Ann asked seriously, dreading whatever answer that Shiho might have for her.

"Honestly..?" Shiho muttered, her empty eyes narrowing as she bit her bottom lip. "... I don't know. I know what I did was dumb, but… it felt like it was the only way out."

"And what about now?" Ann asked, her hands gripping anxiously at her side. "You don't think that anymore, right?"

Shiho's eyes trailed up to Ann, vulnerability shimmering behind her brown orbs. Tears started to fall from her eyes, her breath hitching in her throat. "I… I don't know…" She muttered out, weakly clenching her eyes shut as she let out a weak whine. "A-Ann, I… I'm so sorry… I just felt like no one could help. Like no one could see what I was suffering. And if they did… they would just be disgusted-"

"Don't you **dare** think that!" Ann shouted, causing Shiho to look up at her in shock. For the umpteenth time that day, water streamed from Ann's eyes. "I-it's true that I couldn't see… I'm so stupid for-for not seeing what you suffered… but no one thinks you're disgusting because of it! Not me, not your class, not **anyone**! The real disgusting one is Kamoshida, and don't forget that!"

Shiho inhaled a breath, looking up at her best friend in understanding. "I… I remember hearing your voice… while I was in a coma." Ann blinked in surprise, not realizing that Shiho might have actually heard her voice. "A lot of it's muddled and I can't remember much, but… I remember you were saying you were going to take him down. W-was… that just a dream?"

Ann's eyes softened, shaking her head in confirmation. "No. You heard right. Me and my friends, Ryuji and that new student Izuku, we took him down yesterday. And soon he's going to admit to his crimes."

"Admit to his crimes..?" Shiho repeated in confusion, pushing up on her sofa to position herself better in her seat.

"... You'll see. I guarantee it." Ann said, deciding to save such a confusing explanation for another time. "Just know that it's almost over, okay?"

Shiho stared at her in question, unsure what all of this meant for her, but nodded. "Okay… if you say so." Looking back down at her lap, Shiho's frown deepened. "You said… Izuku, that transfer student, helped you right?"

"That's right. He's actually a really nice guy. Kinda jumpy and really nervous around girls, but genuinely nice." Ann giggled, thinking of the green haired teen for a moment. "He said you made him feel better after he came to the school. He was really thankful for that."

"I made him feel better…" Shiho muttered before her eyes trembled with guilt. "But I… but I hurt him in the end, didn't I...?" She asked, her voice coming out choked and shasky. "I made him think that… that it was his fault that I jumped, didn't I? He was up there trying to save me and I…" Ann cast her gaze to the ground, unsure what could be said. Izuku had carried the burden of her attempted suicide since the beginning of it all. Trying to convince Shiho of otherwise would be a lie.

"I… I thought I heard his voice while I slept…" Shiho mumbled, forcing herself to look up at Ann. "I could hear him say that… that he was sorry. Did you… bring him here?"

"... Yeah, I did." Ann admitted, though showed no signs of shame over it. "He needed to say everything that he did. And he wanted you to know that he was still fighting for you."

"... but will that mean anything in the end?" Shiho asked, skepticism lacing her voice, causing Ann to widen her eyes. "I want to believe that you guys really could stop him, but… I-I don't see how." Shiho began to tremble again, eyes tightening as her mind raced with dark thoughts, a voice of shame and fear whispering at the back of her mind. "N-no one's been able to stop him, a-and those who could just don't care… I just don't see how you guys could beat him… and let's say you do pull off a miracle, then what?!" She asked, looking back up at Ann for answers. "A-am I supposed to walk through that school again, expecting everything to go back to normal?! All of those eyes of disgust and pity watching me every single day! I can't take that! I can't-"

 ***slap***

Ann didn't let Shiho's rambling continue, giving her a wake up slap right across the cheek. Ann didn't feel good doing it, but she knew that she had to pull her best friend back to reality. "You don't know any of that. You don't know what any of the students will think! And no matter what, you won't be alone anymore!" Ann exclaimed, fighting back the furious tears threatening at the edge of her eyes. Closing the gap between them, Ann tightly wrapped her arms around her best friend, her voice coming out softer this time. "I don't want you to give up on us. I want you to see for yourself that you still have a place to go back to. And once this is all over, you can walk through Shujin with your head held high! Alright?!"

Shiho held her cheek, rubbing the sore spot with her numb hand slowly. Her erratic thoughts had weathered themselves, Ann's intervention helping to silence them. But still, a shadow of a doubt lingered in her thoughts. "Even if you guys can make Kamoshida do what you say… do you really think a place is left for me there?"

Ann released her from the hug but still gripped her shoulders in both hands, giving as confident of a grin as she could muster. "Once Kamoshida confesses, everyone will see the truth. You'll see. People will see him for the monster that he really is and won't think about what you did. So please… give us a chance, okay? It's almost over. Very soon."

Shiho stared into Ann's eyes, absorbing her words gradually. Hope and uncertainty clashing in her heart. She wanted to believe Ann's words, to be able to wake up and know that Kamoshida had paid for his crimes. But the dark clouds of fear fogged her sight. Little that Ann could say to her now would clear them from her mind. Looking back down at her lap, Shiho couldn't be so faithful. But still, the inkling of hope instilled by Ann was still there. "... I hope you're right." was the best she could muster out, unable to commit to the ideas that Ann pushed.

Ann knew that it was the best answer she could get in Shiho's current state, giving a small sigh and nod. "You'll see. I promise you." Ann looked down at the ground, trying to muster up anything else to say to Shiho. With little else in the way of words, Ann just gave her a small smile. "I'm going to let you rest. I'll be back tomorrow, okay? So keep hanging on. And make sure you convince Recovery Girl to heal you up all the way soon, okay?"

Shiho only nodded in response, unwilling to give much else as her mind began to wrestle with itself. Ann didn't push for a response, lingering only a moment longer before turning around and leaving. Ann quietly shut the door behind her, a deep breath released once she escaped the heavy air that hung around Shiho's sullen state. As happy as she was to see Shiho awake, Ann had realized that the fight truly had one last push. Kamoshida's confession could not come sooner.

As she walked down the hallway of the hospital, Ann soon realized that others would want to hear this news. Pulling out her phone, Ann quickly began to type away into the group chat.

 _Ann: Shiho is awake!_

She held her phone at her side, knowing that it likely wouldn't take the two long to respond, whatever they might be doing. He text chime soon went off, Ann immediately pulling her phone up to look at the responses.

 _Izuku: Really?! So soon?!_

 _Ryuji: Holy shit, for real?_

 _Ann: Yep. Recovery Girl got the petition and came to the hospital. Shiho's awake and out of any danger. But before she fully heals her body, Recovery Girl wants to make sure that Shiho_ -Ann hesitated, not entirely sure how to word it kindly or sound too depressing- _is okay to be left alone. I wanted to argue, but I see her point. She's going to stay in the hospital for a while, so I'm going to keep visiting her until she's out. Okay?_

 _Izuku: Of course. I'm glad to hear that Recovery Girl came through for her._

 _Ryuji: Nice to know somebody finally looked our way. We'll keep hopin' Suzui gets fully healed soon, so keep your chin up, alright?_

 _Ryuji: And once this is over, we should all have a party or somethin to celebrate!_

 _Izuku: I agree. Once Kamoshida confesses, we should do something. I've never been to a party, but I'll try my best! So tell Suzui-sempai to keep doing the same for us!_

Ann let out a soft giggle, a genuine smile spreading across her lips. It was strange how quickly she became fond of the two. Rekindling her friendship with Ryuji was a surprise but not unwelcome. The two had been on decent terms before high school started but their separate classes drifted them apart. But now, she honestly felt like the two had a better understanding each other more than ever. Izuku was a the same, the boy convicted of a crime had turned out to be the boy with the biggest heart she had ever seen. Someone she could rely on without hesitation. Even for their faults, Ann couldn't have asked for two better people to have fought so hard alongside her.

 _Ann: Yeah. One things cool off, I would love to do that. So I'm going to keep my head up and trust that our plan worked. I'll keep you guys posted about her condition. Thank you both for everything._

 **To be continued…**

 **Thanks goes to nitewind, who has decided to take up the role of beta a second time for me as he does with my other story A Devil's Diamond!**

 **And that's the chapter! Obviously the pace has slowed down, as I didn't want everything to be resolved so quickly. Persona is a game that revolves around the small interactions as much as the big ones. Depending on what links I might be able to form in the upcoming chapter, we'll see whether or not the confession will come then or not.**

 **I do hope that the scene at the end was able to convey the right tones and feelings. I struggled a bit toward the end when it came to how Shiho might react now that she's awake far earlier than before. Leave a comment and tell me how I did and whether something could have been better or not :)**

 **This was also a good chance to show the mild possibilities of the shifting world. I know things up until now have been relatively close to the canon of Persona 5, but as the story continues on things are going to be shifting more and more, from the world around them to even the Confidant Links that Izuku makes. How it will all change will be revealed in due time. So look forward to that!**

 **Anyways, that's it for this chapter, please leave a review, a follow, and a favorite if you'd be so kind~!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I own neither My Hero Academia or the Persona series**

Chapter 16

Each day that passed by with no word on Kamoshida's condition added to Izuku's building anxiety. At first he thought it would be only a few days before Kamoshida might confess to his crimes. Much to his chagrin, no one had heard so much as a peep from the perverted coach. Whenever he would ask Kawakami about it, she would simply answer that they had yet to hear any change in the coach's condition. Ryuji was feeling no better than Izuku, the two hardly able to even think of anything else even when they hung out together. Working out seemed like a decent distraction at first, but it did little to work out any of either teen's apprehension. Ann was constantly absent from the group as she was continuing her visits with Shiho each day. Morgana was the only one remaining positive at this point, trying in vain to suggest that their work was not for nothing.

So, hoping to give Izuku something else to think about, the feline suggested a change in setting.

"Do we really need to buy more medical supplies? The palace is gone now, after all." Izuku asked, looking at the cat resting on his shoulder in question.

"That may be so, but you still have to help me with my own goal, remember?" Morgana reminded him, crossing his paws over his shoulder. "When we're going to do that, we'll need more supplies. Of course, we'll wait until after Kamoshida confesses before making such an attempt, but it doesn't hurt to prepare while we have the free time to do so, right?"

"R-right… if he does confess…" Izuku mumbled with some doubt, causing the cat to groan.

"Come on, I told you to stop thinking like that. Kamoshida is going to confess. Keep thinking positive. We did everything right. Just keep having faith." Morgana said, trying to keep the green haired teen's hopes up. "Letting it eat at you all day isn't going to get you anywhere."

"I guess, it's just… hard not to think about it with what's at stake." Izuku said, giving Morgana a sideways frown. "But… back to what we were talking about, how are we going to go about helping you now that the palace is gone?"

"We'll save that discussion for another time. I want everyone to be around when I go into the details. It's a pretty complicated subject and we might as well save the explanation for Ryuji and Ann."

"Ah, that makes sense." Izuku hummed, holding his chin in thought as he looked down. "But with the few known details, I'm not sure how much supplies would be necessary to purchase now…"

"Well, at everyone's current level and factoring in the destination, I would say that so long as we stay mindful, we won't run into any trouble greater than what we encountered in the castle. Should be easier, in fact. No palace ruler and no treasure to be sought out."

"That definitely does make it easier. We'll just buy a few painkillers and perhaps some muscle relaxers. It's a good thing the medicine Takemi-sensei makes isn't addictive. It's pretty amazing that she makes her own medicine, really." Izuku mused aloud, thinking about the amount of medicine they all consumed without any habit forming side effects. Izuku had no doubt that it was thanks in part to her medicine that the group was able to finish their infiltration route as fast as they did.

"The good doctor sure knows what she's doing. It's nice to be able to get her medicine for our heists." Morgana hummed, a small but unmistakably sly smirk at the edge of his feline mouth. "Who knows… maybe over time she'll even give us that medicine we heard about?"

"Morgana-san, I already told you…" Izuku sighed, earning an eye roll from the cat.

"Yeah, yeah. You'd rather just get regular old medicine so that you don't raise suspicion, right? I got it." Morgana huffed out, Izuku only able to laugh sheepishly in response before turning his attention back forward.

"I know it sounds tempting, but what we did get should work just fine." Izuku reassured, turning a corner and arriving at the shabby clinic. "We were lucky to get what she gave us in the first place. I'd rather not push our luck."

"Okay, okay, you've made your point. While you're at it, try to find some medicine on her list that'll help Ryuji's head." Morgana said before tucking himself back within Izuku's bag. The green haired teen didn't bother with a retort, seeing Takemi behind her counter as he entered the clinic.

"Hello, Takemi-sensei." Izuku greeted, pulling the doctor's attention up to him. "Sorry if I'm bothering you again."

"Hardly. It's not like I have people lining up to see me." Takemi dryly joked, motioning with one arm to her empty waiting room. "I was wondering if you were going to come back. Did the medicine I provide come in handy?"

"Y-yes, it really did. I was able to get a lot of work done without too much hassle thanks to you." Izuku said, which was technically the truth. "That's why I thought I would come back and see if I could buy a bit more."

"Well, I'm glad to hear it helped out. Though to be honest I thought you would be asking for something else." Takemi said, flashing him a faint smile that caused Izuku to blink in question. "Alright then, go ahead to the waiting room. I'll see what I can do for you."

"Th-thank you, Takemi-sensei." Izuku said, giving a small bow of appreciation before walking into the waiting room and taking a seat in the guest chair. Morgana peeked an eye through the zipper of his school bag, curiously looking around the office.

"I have a feeling she knows we were listening that one time. Well, about you at least." Morgana whispered out, though Izuku quickly held a finger over his mouth.

"We don't know that for sure! And even if she does, I'm not going to-" Izuku said in a whisper before hearing the doorknob turn, quickly adjusting himself in his seat.

"Alright. As with last time, here's the list of medicine I can provide." Takemi said, holding a clipboard out for Izuku to take. As he reached for it though, Takemi quickly pulled it away, causing him to blink. "But first thing's first: I do have something I need to ask you about." she said, her expression looking stern as she suddenly turned the lock on the door behind her, resting her back against it as she stared Izuku down.

The green haired teen blinked owlishly up at Takemi, suddenly sweating bullets as he tried to grasp the situation. _C-crap! She definitely knows! A-and she locked the door! That can't be a good sign!_ "Wh-wha-what about, Takemi-sensei?" Izuku asked shakily, his entire body trembling as he gave a fairly weak smile in a pathetic attempt to seem calm.

"The last time you were here, a doctor came in and talked to me just as you left." Takemi said, crossing her arms under her chest as she tilted her head to the side. "You were rather lackluster when it came to eavesdropping on us if you thought no one would notice. So tell me, what exactly did you hear?"

Izuku sighed in defeat, knowing that lying to her was pretty much futile at this point. Scratching the back of his head, Izuku let his gaze fall to the ground. "Well… just about all of it… I'm sorry. I just got really curious, is all…"

Takemi raised a brow, humming in response as she tapped her chin with a pen. "Curiosity killed the cat, you know." Izuku could hear the faintest peep of fear from Morgana, "But I guess its natural for someone your age to be curious about it. I just suspected that the reason you would come back would be to find out about the medicine."

"N-no, Takemi-sensei! That's not it at all!" Izuku quickly dismissed, waving his arms around. "F-from what he was saying, they just sounded like rumors! I-I was happy with what you gave me before and wouldn't bother you with something that's just made up!"

Takemi raised a brow, letting out a low hum of understanding. "I see. Color me surprised as most would have assumed such rumors were true. Most walk in here because they think I'm some evil mastermind that's concocting these miracle drugs left and right. Though I suppose in this particular situation, they would be right."

Izuku blinked, looking up at Takemi in shock. "R-really? You… actually have made a drug like what the doctor mentioned..?"

"That's correct. It still needs some testing, but so far the samples I've put out have been successful. Though to be honest, I've been meaning to toss that medicine out anyways. I was a little eccentric with its creation. The other problem is that I lack a guinea pig for any further tests…" Takemi trailed off, her last sentence more to herself than to Izuku. Looking back at him from the side, Takemi gave a small smirk. "Would you like to get such a drug for your 'studies'?"

Izuku widened his eyes at the offer, opening his mouth to reply before hesitating. His brow knitted in thought, tilting his head down and holding his chin as he began to think it over. "As amazing as something like that might be, I doubt I could afford it with what money I have. Prescription drugs are never cheap. I can barely afford what drugs I've purchased so far. Getting only one would really be a waste as well because that would mean it's only good for one use. Still, I can't help but be curious as to what benefits could be gained from such a supplement…"

"Wow. And people say I'm a quack." Takemi giggled suddenly, dragging Izuku back to reality and causing him to fluster up. She pushed off the door and unlocked it, seeing no further reason for her interrogation. "You're not wrong about the price, though. You could buy a cheap car for the cost of this drug. It might take you a while to save up money for that, even with a part time job."

"Yeah, and I don't have a job either." Izuku sighed in resignation, his previously budding curiosity over Takemi's superdrug beginning to wane.

"Don't have a job, huh? Are you in any clubs, perhaps?" Takemi asked, to which Izuku shook his head. "What do you do when you're not working on exams? Or are you just constantly studying?"

"N-no, nothing like that, I just…" Izuku felt a bead of sweat trail down his brow, unsure how to answer that. He couldn't say he was invading the cognition of a perverted school coach, after all. "... just studying, working out, hanging out with my friends… n-nothing of note…"

"I see. Would you say you're too busy for a part time job, then?" Takemi asked further, causing Izuku to raise a brow.

"Well… no, I guess not. I have some spare time for one here and there… why do you ask?"

Takemi stared at Izuku in silence for a moment before her gaze lazily trailed to the side as if pondering her next words carefully. "Oh, why not…" She muttered to herself before looking up at Izuku. "Then how would you like a job here at my clinic?"

Izuku blinked, completely shocked by the offer to say the least. "R-really? You want me to work here?"

"To be honest, I've been looking for someone around your age to help me out. But help has been hard to find, even when I've put ads up for the job. You look pretty healthy, and you say you work out on occasion, so I can assume you have a bit of stamina, at least. But before I get ahead of myself, do you think you'd be interested?" Takemi asked, crossing her arms under her chest.

Izuku wasn't sure how they had gotten to this point, blinking at Takemi for a moment. Looking down at his feet, Izuku started to think over the offer. It would be good to have another means of income, he supposed. And it would definitely make access to Takemi's medicine much simpler. "I… wouldn't be able to come in all the time…"

"That's fine. Just come in when you feel like. I won't tie you down with a set schedule." Takemi waved off casually.

"... what exactly would I be doing?"

"You'll find out after you pass my own little exam." Takemi suggested, a small smirk of amusement playing on her lips. "I don't want to scare you off before we even start, do I?"

Izuku began to sweat again, knowing that Takemi was only saying such things to scare him. Though it was very much working. "... O-okay… I'll do it." He finally agreed, deciding to take the plunge and dive in. This could be fairly beneficial to their work in the Metaverse, whatever Morgana might have planned for them. There were definitely benefits to accepting this position.

"Alright, then. Now before we get started, do you have any health problems I should know about? Allergies or heart conditions?" Takemi asked, causing Izuku stare in disbelief.

"N-no… why would you need to know that?"

"Oh, you'll see. I'll be right back." Takemi chuckled with a bit of veiled mischief, causing Izuku to begin rethinking this newfound job.

"See, Izuku? I told you coming here was a good idea!" Morgana whispered out from his bag, peeking his snout out.

"We'll see about that… I still don't know what she wants me to do…" Izuku pointed out, gulping his building spit as he waited for her nervously. Takemi was back a moment later, bringing a tray of slim vials containing some unknown liquids inside. She set the tray down and lined the vials up on a stand in single file.

"Do you… want me to drink those?" Izuku asked, unsure of the idea of drinking the contents of unmarked test tubes. Takemi seemed like an… okay person, but Izuku had some reservations when it came to what he put in his body.

"Yes and no. First I have to mix them up. To do that… I use my Quirk." Takemi explained, uncapping each vial before dipping her fingers in each one. Izuku widened his eyes as he saw the liquids drain, each one soaking into her fingertips like a sponge. Once they were emptied of their contents, Takemi held up her hand to show Izuku. "You can call me a bit of a human sponge. Though liquids I absorb only remain in the skin of my palm and fingers. A bit bizarre, isn't it?" she chuckled, looking at her hand and flexing her fingers. Each liquid could be seen moving around in her fingers and palm like a waterbed jiggling around. "I can make sure to absorb the exact amount needed and mix as I please. I don't feel the effects of whatever I soak in, even if it's something like poison. I think that's about done…" She muttered, holding up a measuring cup in her opposite hand before squeezing her hand gently. The now combined liquid was wrung out like a wet towel, all of its contents emptying into the beaker.

"All done. Now…" Takemi stretched her arm forward, holding the cup out for Izuku to take. "Drink up."

Izuku looked down at the cup slowly before looking back up at Takemi, his eyes as wide as plates as he took the beaker in his shaky grasp. "Eh?"

"Come, now. If you're going to be working for me, you're going to have to drink obscure and unknown medicines like this. Your primary job is being a test subject, after all." Takemi explained, leaning back in her chair and crossing her legs. "Is that too tough for you?"

"B-but you… but I… you just… I… your hand…" Izuku sputtered out almost incoherently, the implications both worrying and a bit flustering for the green haired teen, looking between the doctor and the cup in his hand with no small amount of nervousness. There was no doubt that drinking the unknown medicine was worrying in and of itself for Izuku, but there was also the fact that Takemi had literally mixed them within her hand. Right in front of him. A very dizzying idea for the teen.

"My hand?" Takemi repeated with a raised brow before realization dawned on her. "Oh~, I see. You seem like the type to have trouble with girls. I can see how this might be a bit much for you." She chuckled teasingly, her words causing Izuku's cheeks to flare up. "If it's any consolation, none of my blood or actual skin touches the medicine. The pouches in my hand are different from the rest of my body. So really… there's only a small taste of me in the medicine."

"Wh-why did you have to word it like that?!" Izuku exclaimed as his face was quite literally steaming now. Takemi could only giggle as her amusement seemed to increase from his reaction.

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't help it. With your personality, you make it fairly easy." Takemi said, a small smirk at the edge of her peach lips. "But all joking aside, this will be part of your work here. I need to know you're willing to be my test subject. Being roundabout with it won't do either of us any favors. If its too much for you, feel free to hand me back the cup."

Izuku bit his bottom lip, looking back down at the medicine in hand. There were quite a few things strange about this situation no matter how he looked at it. Trying not to focus on the fairly forward teasing from the doctor, there was still much to be feared when it came to the medicine. He doubted that the doctor would give him something potentially fatal, but he wouldn't rule out some sort numbing medicine as a sort of joke.

"Go on. I'm waiting." Takemi further egged him on, not bothering to hide her amusement as she chuckled.

 _Even so… if we're going to need her medicine in the future, it might be the best way to keep our relationship functioning._ Izuku mused to himself, inhaling a deep breath as he summoned his courage. _I-I'll do it! We're going to need this medicine! I'll-_

"Thank you for the drink!"

With those words, Izuku quickly chugged the medicine. His eyes tightened as he tasted the sour and bitter medicine. It was definitely a bit off putting, but it wasn't unbearable for Izuku. When he was sure that the beaker was empty, he lowered the drink and took a deep breath, trying his best to ignore the taste on his tongue.

"Okay… wow." Takemi mumbled, her own expression fairly stumped by his sudden bravery. "You actually drank it… color me impressed because I honestly didn't think you had the guts to do it. You're definitely braver than I thought… or dumber."

"I… I would like to keep purchasing what I can from you. It's fairly important, Takemi-sensei." Izuku admitted, setting the beaker down. "Do I pass the test?"

Takemi stared at him for a moment longer before raising a brow. "I suppose you do. To have no reaction yet is a bit impressive as well. I guess you're a bit tougher than you look."

"Ye-yeah, I guess-wait…" Izuku blinked, looking back up at Takemi with owlish eyes. "Reaction?"

 ***BADUMP***

The most nauseating smell suddenly filled Izuku's senses. The scent was so strong that it filled all of his senses. His entire world started to spin before his eyes, his head thrown into turmoil as he was unable to think straight. It was one of the most unpleasant feelings in Izuku's life. But thankfully for him, his mind was going blank and after a small tumble out of his chair, his vision started to go dark. As unconsciousness soon took him, he heard the doctor utter one line before fading to black:

"Oh… um… game over, I guess…"

* * *

The moment Izuku began to wake up, he could still feel his head spinning. Opening his eyes, he had trouble focusing his vision at first but not for long. It started to become clear, the first thing he could see being a white ceiling above him.

"Finally awake?" Takemi's voice echoed, causing the green haired teen to crane his head to the right and see the doctor sitting at her desk. She was currently typing away at her computer, looking back at him in the corner of her eye. "Good to have you back. And here I thought you might have actually died."

"Wh-what?" Izuku mumbled out in shock, only for Takemi to quietly laugh.

"I'm kidding. Though you were definitely in a short coma after ingesting the medicine." The doctor admitted, causing the green haired teen to stare at her nervously. "You did wake up a couple times, in case you forgot. You just fell back asleep right after."

"I… I don't remember…" Izuku admitted, rubbing his face as he sat up on the comforter and slouched over his knees. "How long was I out?"

"Only a couple hours. Nothing to be worried about." Takemi said, spinning in her chair to face him and crossing her legs. "In case you were wondering, it was the smell of the medicine that caused you to faint. Once the liquids hit your gastric acid, it produces a foul smell similar to Surstromming."

"The smell..?" Izuku repeated, some of his memory of his apparent knock-out coming back. The smell was gone, but the memory of it filling his nostrils and mouth were enough to cause him to shudder, his face going pale. "I-it was really foul… I've never smelled something that bad in my life… or had it knock me out for that matter…"

"Well perhaps you could have avoided that had you not taken that drink." Takemi pointed out, her brow hardening as she sighed. "Are you out of your mind? We've met only twice before this and you just accept some strange medicine from me? Only an idiot would drink that."

"I-I… I just wanted to show you how serious I was. Getting the medicine really helps." Izuku explained, his gaze falling to the ground. Taking the leap of faith he made was rather reckless without full disclosure of the consequences. But if it meant being able to further support the group with the necessary medicine, Izuku was willing to take the leap.

Takemi studied him for a moment, biting on the edge of her pen in thought. "Fine. Whatever you say." She said, sounding only half convinced of his answer but accepting it regardless. "What matters is that, thanks to your reckless stunt, I was able to gather some valuable data."

"Wait, th-that wasn't just a joke by you?" Izuku asked, blinking in mild surprise.

"Not at all. I needed to see what you'd be willing to do if you were going to take the job. But I also needed to test that. So I decided to kill two birds with one stone." Takemi explained, leaning forward as she jotted down some notes. "That's why I waited for you to wake up. If our little experiment hasn't scared you off, you've got the job."

While Izuku wasn't sure how he felt about getting rendered unconscious, it was his own fault for jumping in head first. "Thank you, Takemi-sensei… is there anything I need to know?"

"Yes. I don't want my original medicines to be known by the general public. Whatever testing we do stays between the two of us. You're strictly prohibited from disclosing our tests to anyone… understood?"

"Y-yes, sensei."

"Good. With that said, I'll pay you for each clinical trial you partake in and, so long as you get them from me, I'll discount the medicine you purchase." Takemi said, causing Izuku to widen his eyes in shock.

"R-really? You'd do that on top of paying me?" Izuku asked, shocked but no less thankful.

"That's right. In fact, if you stick through it long enough I may even add more medicine to the list of what you can buy. But considering how stupidly brave you are, I have a feeling you will." Takemi chuckled, but offering the slightest smile of assurance. Izuku couldn't help but smile as well, bowing his head in appreciation.

"Thank you for the opportunity, Takemi-sensei!"

"Don't thank me just yet. You'll have to survive through the future testing to come, after all." Takemi teased, causing Izuku to sweat a bit at the promise. "But you've been full of surprises since we've met. I'm sure you're tough enough to push through."

Despite the cryptic nature of her words, Izuku couldn't stop smiling. With this arrangement, he would be able to provide more medicine for the group in the future. And with the promise of even more medicine available, Izuku couldn't be happier with the results of coming here today.

 ***SMASH***

The darkening vision and the cracking chains in his ear pulled Izuku from his thoughts, suddenly reminding him of another advantage gained from this deal.

 **I am thou, thou art I**

 **Thou hast acquired a new vow.**

 **It shall become the wings of rebellion**

 **That breaketh thy chains of captivity.**

 **With the birth of the Death Persona,**

 **I have obtained the winds of Blessing**

 **that shall lead to freedom and new power…**

A card bearing the title of Death appeared before him, fading away as time resumed. Izuku could only sigh, unsure how often the arcana formations would keep materializing like this. Still, there was nothing he could complain about. In this case, Takemi was benefiting from this as much as he was. Not to mention the fact that he would still be taking such sketchy medicine in exchange.

"Alright, with that all settled, you can head home for the day." Takemi said, beginning to turn in her chair back to her computer. "I look forward to continue working together, my little guinea pig." She said, giving him a sideways smirk before chuckling.

"G-guinea pig?!" Izuku exclaimed, the word reminding him of a certain eccentric UA engineer.

* * *

Despite the temporary coma that he had been put in, Izuku wasn't feeling too bad after leaving Takemi's clinic. If he didn't have to be home by a specific time, he'd likely be willing to go out and do something. "Maybe if Sakura-san lets me, I can go out for a jog…" He muttered, holding his chin as he looked down in thought.

"You could always just do some muscle training. But I can see how you'd feel pretty limited in that room. You don't have any workout equipment aside from those dumbbells." Morgana hummed in thought. As they rounded the corner toward home, Morgana made sure to stuff himself away into his bag. Pushing open the door leading inside the cafe, Izuku was mildly surprised to see a now slouching Sojiro leaning on the edge of his bar, weariness evident in his posture and movement. He looked up at Izuku, his face both tired and thankful.

"Goodness, I thought you were another customer…" Sojiro muttered, pushing up from the counter and sighing. "I am just about ready to call it a day and it's not even closing time…"

"Are you okay, Sakura-san? You look tired." Izuku asked curiously, having yet to see the coffee shop owner in such a state. "Did something happen?"

"Nothing bad, technically. I just had a strange flux in customers today happen all at once." Sojiro admitted, bending backward and stretching his spine with a satisfying crack. "It's happened before, but its not common enough that I'm prepared. Guess I've gotten a little too used to the complacency that this shop is used to seeing." rolling his neck, Sojiro let out a yawn. "Mind watching the shop for me for a quick sec? I'm gonna go get some smokes from the corner store. I'll make sure to set it to closed until I get back."

"Oh, no problem, Sakura-san. I can do that for you." Izuku agreed, setting his bag gently down on one of the stools by the bar.

"Thanks. I won't be long, so just keep an eye out." Sojiro nodded in appreciation, moving around the bar and heading out the door.

Izuku moved to the inside of the bar, taking a good look around as he leaned against the wood. "It's strange but this bar is actually kind of comfortable to stand in."

"It is a cozy little place. I can see how the boss would prefer to have a quiet crowd rather than a bunch of people taking up the entire shop." Morgana said, popping out of the bag and looking around. Izuku took a small look around, his eyes grazing over the kitchen. Looking at the sink, he could see a stack of cups and plates inside, pushing off the bar and moving into the kitchen.

"Wow, he really was busy today. I haven't seen so many dishes stacked up in here before."

"Do you know how to make coffee? I've been pretty curious about tasting it since I've started living here." Morgana asked curiously, watching as Izuku rolled up his sleeves.

"Not with the equipment Sakura-san has. His looks more professional than anything I've ever worked." Izuku said, giving an apologetic smile to the cat. He grabbed an apron from the counter and wrapped it around his waist. "Would you mind letting me know if Sakura-san arrives? I'm going to wash some of these for him."

"That's awful kind of you. Trying to get some points with the boss?" Morgana smiled, his tail wagging back and forth.

"Nothing like that. He just seems tired enough, so I'm sure he doesn't want to do these on top of everything." Izuku dismissed, grabbing a sponge and a bottle of soap and filling the sink with water to soak the dishes in. "He was kind enough to take me in and gave me the chance to keep going to school. It's the least I can do for him."

"I guess that doesn't surprise me. You're that kind of person, after all." Morgana chuckled, crossing his paws under him as he watched the green haired teen start cleaning.

" _In other news, Heroes begin to watch the trains for any suspicious activity after several unexplained crashes."_

Morgana's ears perked up, eyes glancing up at the television hanging in the corner of the bar. Izuku continued to wash the dishes, but he tilted his head ever so slightly to the side to listen better.

" _The train drivers experienced some unexplained mental breakdowns in the middle of their shifts, causing the trains to crash with great property damage and injury to many of those onboard or in the station. It's still undetermined whether it was the cause of some Quirk or mere happenstance."_

"I've been hearing about that everywhere. I hope no one was too seriously hurt…" Izuku murmured from the kitchen, focusing back on the dishes in hand.

"It's a miracle no one's been killed so far. There's definitely something suspicious about the number of occurrences and the mental breakdowns that each driver suffers while at the wheel. It would probably make a great target for the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, don't you think?"

"That's if someone is really behind it. Though the chances are pretty high. But with all the attention going to it, I'm sure the heroes will figure it out." Izuku suggested hopefully, putting each dish in the drying rack.

"At least they're reliable with the things that they can't ignore…" Morgana offhandedly remarked, causing Izuku to pause.

"I-I know that they've been absent in the case with Kamoshida but its not their fault Morgana-san. A lot of things factored into it…" Izuku rebutted, feeling a bit defensive over the statement.

"I'm sure there are, but because of their absence, we were forced to take the route we did. We had to step up when no one else would for the students under Kamoshida." Morgana reasoned, causing Izuku to shift uncomfortably.

"I-I know, but… heroes still do a lot of good. But they can't be everywhere, Morgana-san. And they don't know every terrible thing done in the world." Izuku said, causing Morgana to hum.

"I suppose so. But perhaps that can be our objective from here on." Morgana declared, causing Izuku to blink and turn back to him. "If they are the heroes of the seen, we can be the heroes of the unseen."

"What do you mean?" Izuku asked curiously, but before Morgana could give him an answer, the front bell of the coffee shop rang. The cat quickly ducked back into the bag and Izuku peeked his head out of the kitchen to see who it was. As expected, Sojiro walked in with a lit cigarette in his mouth. "O-oh, hey Sakura-san. Just give me a minute, I'm halfway through."

"Gotcha, I appreciate-wait what?" Sojiro blinked, walking around the bar to look inside the kitchen. "You're… doing the dishes?"

"You looked like you had a tough day, so I thought I would chip in. I hope you don't mind." Izuku explained, shooting him a small smile before focusing back on the dishes. Sojiro watched him for a moment, as if in a state of disbelief though Izuku couldn't imagine why.

"Well, if you feel so inclined, go right ahead. I appreciate it, kid." Sojiro slowly said, moving to the inside of the bar and working on the smoke in his hand. "Let me know when you're done and I'll take a look at your work. I have to make sure they're cleaned thoroughly, okay?"

"Understood." Izuku continued from there, making sure to be as thorough as needed be. It didn't take long for him to finish up, untying his apron and ushering Sojiro to come and check the dishes for himself.

"Not bad at all. You did a good job." Sojiro admitted, flashing Izuku a faint smile. "It might not seem like a lot of work, but it certainly took a load off my back. Thanks for the help."

"I don't mind helping when I can. Just ask me if you need something, Sakura-san." Izuku said, reaching over and grabbing his book bag, preparing to go back up the stairs.

"Hm. I might have to take you up on that offer, kid." Sojiro chuckled, putting out his cigarette as he spoke. "How are things going at school?"

"O-oh, just fine… still trying to fit in I guess…" Izuku mumbled sheepishly, unsure if informing him of his current situation was the best idea. It definitely didn't seem like something the coffee shop owner wanted to hear about.

"Good. So long as things go without too much noise with you, I won't complain." Sojiro said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Just keep from making any reckless heroics again and we should be fine. But as things stand, I'm a pretty busy man. I have to report to your parole officer twice a month, manage the shop and some personal concerns to worry about of my own. So having you pitch in with the dishes or perhaps cleaning the floor would certainly make it easier on me."

"I can help out more if you'd like. In fact, do you want me to clean anything else right now?" Izuku asked, eyes glazing over the tables of the shop.

"Not right now, but thanks. You doing the dishes was good enough for today." Sojiro reassured, giving him a small smile. "I know that you're going to be busy with a few of your own things as the school year goes on, so I won't ask you to do some work every day. But what little you can do would definitely help. Of course I won't ask you to do this for free, though I can't rightly pay you…"

"Don't worry about that, Sakura-san, I-"

"Nonsense. You might be well meaning kid, but don't let yourself get conned by others into doing stuff for free all the time. People will abuse that kindness until you've rightly run out." Sojiro cut him off, shaking his head. "I know you might feel some obligation to help since I took you in, but I get paid for it by the state. It's not like I'm getting nothing out of the deal. So in exchange for what help you can give me, how about I…" Sojiro looked around the shop before an idea suddenly came to him, smiling confidently. "Then I'll teach you how to make the perfect cup of coffee. Not a bad deal, eh?"

Izuku opened his mouth, tempted to offer without such a payment before stopping himself. Sojiro had made it clear he would rather give him something over nothing, and would likely not take no for an answer. Sparing a glance at the curious beakers that Sojiro brewed his coffee in, Izuku returned his smile.

"Okay. I'll try to learn what I can from you, Sakura-san." Izuku said, reaching a hand out to shake.

"Alright, then. We have a deal." Sojiro chuckled, reaching out and taking Izuku's hand into a firm shake.

 ***SMASH***

Izuku released a breath, half expecting the link to be formed this time.

 **I am thou, thou art I**

 **Thou hast acquired a new vow.**

 **It shall become the wings of rebellion**

 **That breaketh thy chains of captivity.**

 **With the birth of the Hierophant Persona,**

 **I have obtained the winds of Blessing**

 **that shall lead to freedom and new power…**

Izuku watched as a new card materialized before his eyes, but paid it little mind. With this new bond formed, the green haired teen was beginning to understand what the requirements were to have a Confidant Link established. Igor and the twins words were beginning to make more sense. _So it starts with something mutually beneficial… but its development into something more is what is more personal?_

"You alright? You look a bit dazed." Sojiro asked, raising a brow curiously and bringing Izuku back from his mess of thoughts.

"O-oh, it's nothing. I'm gonna head to bed, Sakura-san. I'll see you later." Izuku quickly said, excusing himself and leaving the shopkeeper to his work.

"Sure, see you later." was his response, Sojiro simply shrugging off his odd behavior. Izuku marched up the stairs and headed straight for his bed, gently setting down his school bag next to him as he sat down. Morgana popped his head out, beginning to climb out of the bag and take a seat.

"Freedom~! I'm getting used to staying in the bag for so long, but nothing beats being able to stretch out." Morgana chuckled, stretching his forepaws forward on the bed before looking back up at Izuku. The green haired teen seemed to be deep in thought, causing the cat to tilt his head. "Something bothering you? Or is it the usual Kamoshida anxiety?"

"Hm? Oh, no, not that. I just…" Izuku wasn't sure how to describe it. These relationships that he had established were not purely for the benefit of their Confidant Link. That was never even at the forefront of his mind until the strange oath echoed in his ears. But with their establishment, it made Izuku feel like he was just using those he had forged a Link with. This, coupled with the fact that he had so few people he could call his friends in the past, was making him overthink it all. His experience with others outside of his mother, Makoto and Katsuki was fairly limited. So all of these different links being established so closely was becoming another source of anxiety.

"Am I… making real relationships with those around me?" Izuku muttered out, unable to find any other way to describe the questions scratching at his brain currently.

"Of course you are. Why wouldn't they be real?" Morgana asked in confusion, causing the green haired teen to breath out.

"I… I don't know… it's nothing." Izuku sighed, unsure if explaining the Confidant Links right now was the right thing to do. He wanted to tell the others about it as well.

"Look, the deal with the doctor and the boss aren't out of sole benefit to you. It's a mutual benefit." Morgana reminded him, his tail wagging behind him as he spoke. "You're a smart guy Izuku, but you definitely overthink things sometimes. Ryuji and Ann look to you because they trust you. Because we all know that you're genuinely concerned and kind. Whatever doubts you have about the friends around you, you need to shut them out. Heck, sometimes friendships start out with mutually beneficial deals, don't you think?"

"... You think so?" Izuku muttered, looking back down at the cat in thought.

"Of course! If you want an example, me and you fit the mold perfectly. Sure, I started our partnership purely for the advantage of gaining another Pesona user in my quest. But at this point, I can hardly call you just a partner. I think it's safe to say we're friends at this point, right?" Morgana asked, causing Izuku's expression to brighten as he looked down at the cat.

"Morgana-san…"

"Of course, our deal is still in place and I plan to benefit from your help, but that doesn't mean we're not friends." Morgana chuckled, somewhat shattering the image of kindness he had painted with his words for Izuku. Still, the green haired teen was touched by his words, thankful for the cat's reassurance.

"You're right. I do overthink a lot of things… I'll try to get rid of any future doubt." Izuku declared, flashing a grateful smile at the cat. "Thank you, Morgana-san."

"No problem… now be a pal and get me some milk and tuna, would you?"

Izuku almost fell flat on his face from the request, but merely gave a sheepish laugh before doing as the cat asked.

* * *

"Geez… over a week now and still nothin' on Kamoshida." Ryuji complained, yawning loudly as he walked in line with Izuku to school.

"Today was supposed to be when he was going to expel us, too. At least that isn't happening as far as we can tell, but… its about to be a week long break. Which means if he does decide to confess, we won't know until we're back from break." Izuku hummed, rubbing his right arm anxiously.

"How the hell are we gonna even enjoy the break if we're worryin' about it?! Damn it, this effin' sucks…" Ryuji grumbled bitterly, slouching over as he walked.

"Hey, guys." The two heard Ann call out to them, both boys turning back to see the platinum blonde approach. She quickly stepped in line on Izuku's left, now matching their pace. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, the usual depressin' crap. Just how silent that bastard Kamoshida has been since we took him down." Ryuji said, causing Ann to chuckle.

"I honestly think you guys are worrying too much. I decided to stop worrying and keep believing." Ann declared, causing the two teens to perk up in surprise.

"See? At least Lady Ann is having faith." Morgana said, his voice muffled through the bag's zipper. There were too many students around for him to poke his head out.

"You've been in a pretty good mood every time we see ya." Ryuji commented, showing a bit of surprise in his voice.

"It's been that way since Suzui-sempai woke up, right? How is she doing?" Izuku asked with a small smile.

"I'll admit, it's been rough on her. Recovery girl has been there almost every day for a check up. She's still pretty down, but she's pushing through." Ann said, looking forward as they approached the school. "I'm just happy to see her up and alive. Once Recovery Girl is satisfied, she'll be ready to move again."

"That's good to hear. I'm glad that bastard couldn't take her away from you." Ryuji suggested, giving Ann an encouraging grin. "Let her know we're all hopin' she's back on her feet soon."

"I will, thanks. Maybe when the time is right, we can all do something with her together." Ann suggested, earning nods of acceptance from Izuku and Ryuji. "I don't see it happening very soon, but I'll try to have her keep an open mind." The three turned through the front gates, climbing the stairs and approaching the main hall. As they opened the doors though, they could see a crowd of students being herded together, causing them to blink in confusion.

"The hell's goin' on?" Ryuji asked, only for Izuku and Ann to remain silent, both equally oblivious.

"Hey, you three. Get moving." They turned to see Kawakami approaching them, the tired looking teacher waving for them to move forward. "The first half of first period is going to replaced by a morning assembly. Please head to the gymnasium with the other students."

"Wh-what's the assembly for, sensei?" Izuku asked, turning to Kawakami in question.

"Not sure. Though if I had to hazard a guess, it's likely related to what happened with Suzui." Kawakami explained, releasing a tired sigh. "I'm sure it's strange to have to do this on the day before break, but the principal wants to keep student morale up. Just bear with it so you can all go on with your day, okay?" with that, Kawakami walked past them, calling out for students at the entrance to head to the gymnasium.

"Tch. An assembly to keep morale up. I bet the principal thinks somethin' like this can help him clear his conscience for not doin' shit." Ryuji huffed out in contempt.

"Forget it, Ryuji. They were bound to do this after what happened. I hate it too, but like Kawakami said, just grin and bear with it." Ann sighed, her mood suddenly soured by the idea of attending an assembly like that. Izuku remained silent, no less enthused than either of his friends about attending the assembly than either of them. Following the crowd to the gymnasium, the three stuck together as they found a spot to stand. The assembly was truly a last minute decision, as there weren't even seats for any of the students to sit. The three remained silent, having nothing to say as they waited for the assembly to start and end.

"Do they really need this? I get it, a girl just jumped off the roof, but its not like they need to have some big talk about it. Not like it would do any good." A random student commented with a huff, causing Ann to wince slightly. Izuku and Ryuji shot her a concerned glance, but she merely shook her head, signaling that she'd make it through just fine.

Izuku didn't bother her any further, deciding to glance around the gymnasium for nothing in particular to kill time. Some ways away, he spotted Mishima with his head tilted down miserably. It seems he was in no mood to enjoy the assembly anymore than they were. Izuku moved on from the average looking teen, continuing to look around before his eyes landed on a certain brunette. His eyes lit up somewhat, swallowing a lump in his throat. It had been some time since they last talked. Makoto had been avoiding him since their previous talk, obviously upset at being kept in the dark for so long. Izuku couldn't blame her, part of him regretting the fact that he had in the first place. _Maybe I have waited too long to tell her…_

Her gaze seemed to move around the gymnasium as well, the third year likely no more thrilled than he was. Before he knew it, their gazes met, causing Izuku to visibly fidget in place. Raising a hand, Izuku shakily waved at the third year, hoping for some sign that maybe she was now over it. That hope was immediately dashed when Makoto narrowed her eyes, quickly turning her head away from him and closing her eyes. The green haired teen's shoulders slumped in depression, his gaze cast to the ground.

"Pretty rough, man. But I'm sure she'll get over it." Ryuji chuckled, reaching over and gripping his shoulder in reassurance.

"So long as you tell her the truth. Any less and I have no doubt she'll feel inclined to ignore you." Ann added in thought, not thinking before she spoke.

"Thanks guys…" Izuku muttered, their words hardly doing anything to reassure him.

" _Attention, everyone. Attention. Today's morning assembly is now underway."_ Kobayakawa announced from the stage, tapping on his microphone to grab the students attention. Slowly the students began to quiet down, allowing for the principal to speak. _"Thank you. I know that the past few weeks have been a bit strange for us all, but I wanted to bring you all here to give you some encouragement."_

"You wouldn't need this shit if you did somethin'..." Ryuji growled bitterly under his breath, Ann nudging him to make sure he wouldn't keep talking.

" _In fact, I bring good news regarding Shiho Suzui. Thanks to her strength of heart and to the hard work of rescue hero Recovery Girl, Suzui-san is on her way to making a full recovery."_ Kobayakawa announced, spurning a small bit of chatter and cheer among the crowd of students. Ann was at least thankful for some of the support she heard from the students around them. _"But let us not forget the tragedy that could have ended much worse. With Suzui-san's survival, I implore you all to keep your heads up and-"_

 ***SKREE~***

The principal paused for a moment, heads turning to the side as the gymnasium entrance opened suddenly and very loudly. Tilting their heads to the side, Izuku, Ryuji and Ann immediately inhaled a breath. At the entrance of the gym, none other than Suguru Kamoshida stood there. His expression was tired and depressed, bags under his eyes like he hadn't slept in days.

" _K-Kamoshida-san? What are you doing here?"_ Kobayakawa asked, almost as if forgetting that he was still speaking on the mic.

"I've… come to terms with what I am." Kamoshida declared, slowly looking up at the crowd of students. "And in doing so, I have decided to admit to my crimes. To every single one of you."

Murmurs of confusion erupted through the gymnasium, though the three phantom thieves responsible could only watch him in disbelief. To see him here after waiting for so long felt like a strange dream. They spared one another a glance before quickly following his movements toward the stage. Ann blinked, a thought suddenly occurring to her. She fished her phone from her pocket, quickly searching through her contacts.

"What are you doin'?" Ryuji asked in a whisper, eyes darting back and forth between Ann and Kamoshida.

"If this bastard is doing what I think, then there's someone who needs to see this above anyone else." Ann declared, quickly tapping the number on her phone and activating her video chat. Izuku and Ryuji immediately knew who she was referring to, watching her screen as they waited for an answer.

" _Ann? Is that you?"_ Shiho's tired voice yawned through the speaker of Ann's phone. Izuku and Ryuji couldn't see much, but they could see she was still in a hospital bed. _"Why are you calling me so-"_

"Shh." Ann hushed her, putting a finger to her lips. Shiho blinked on the other end in confusion but waited patiently. Tapping on the settings of her phone, the view of Ann's phone flipped, switching from facing her to facing forward, now showing Shiho Kamoshida on stage. The brunette gasped in disbelief, her body tensing as she saw him. But much to her confusion, she couldn't help but wonder: why was Kamoshida on his knees? Before a crowd of students no less.

"I… I've done terrible things to many different students. All for my own sick personal enjoyment…" Kamoshida declared, gasps of shock sounding through the crowd as murmurs of confusion began to pick up. Shiho remained silent, but her eyes could be seen widening in disbelief ever so slowly. "Verbally and physically abusing students both on and off my volleyball team… sexually harassing female students who couldn't fight back…" his voice started to crack, his words trembling as he spoke. "I… I even sexually assaulted a student, much to my shame. It… it's because of me that Shiho Suzui tried to kill herself."

The murmurs rose in volume, sounds of shock and disgust echoing through the gymnasium. Izuku could hardly believe his ears. When Morgana said that Kamoshida would confess to his sins, he hadn't realized to what extent he meant. Hearing and seeing the perverted coach now, it was almost like something he could only imagine happening. Heck, even a Quirk with mental manipulation could never be so accurate. At least as far as any recorded Quirks had gone. He spared a glance at Makoto to see her reaction. Much like he was, she could only stare at Kamoshida in disbelief, her jaw slack as she processed exactly what was happening on stage.

"I… I had made this school into my place to rule. The only students willing to stand up to me, I-I promised to expel! But of course I-I won't pursue such selfish thoughts." Kamoshida continued, Ryuji and Izuku immediately feeling a small sense of relief overcome them. Though at this point, any expulsion put forth by Kamoshida would mean nothing either way.

"I… I'm so sorry for the terrible things I've put students through. I'm a cruel, shallow and… and a hateful man. No… no I'm worse than that. I'm not a man. I'm just… scum." Kamoshida broke down, his head hitting the wooden floor of the stage as he trembled. "I… I will take responsibility for my actions and… will kill myself to serve as penance. Perhaps that will… be enough to make up for my crimes." Those words immediately roused the entire crowd to almost an uproar. Many were calling him names and shaming him, while others would spew out their personal disgust of the coach. Izuku though could only tremble in fear. Kamoshida killing himself in response to those thoughts really was no better than killing him through a mental breakdown. _No… was it a mistake after all? Did we… Did I-_

"Don't run away from this, you bastard!" Izuku was quickly snapped out of his thoughts, he and Ryuji turning their attention to the furious blonde along with the crowd surrounding them. Ann was grinding her teeth in frustration, eyes glaring daggers at the crumbled up coach on stage. "You think killing yourself will make up for what you've done?! It's just running away! You have to answer for your crimes! Take responsibility by facing everything you've caused! We deserve that justice! **Shiho** deserves that justice most of all!"

" _Ann…"_ Shiho muttered from the other side of the phone, her hands over her mouth as she struggled to fight back her own tears.

"Ann-sempai…" Izuku muttered, biting his bottom lip. He looked at the stage, seeing Kamoshida rise from his slouched over position to sit on his knees again.

"You're… you're right. Among the people I hurt, Takamaki-san was one of the worst." Kamoshida admitted, hands shaking as he gripped his pants. "I blackmailed her into having relations with Shiho's spot on the team… But I still ended up hurting that poor girl…"

" _What..?"_ Shiho muttered, causing Ann to tense up as the truth came out. She wanted to be the one to admit it to Shiho, but that was obviously out of the question now. The entire truth of the matter was being laid out for all to see.

"I… I will do as she says and turn myself into the police." Kamoshida declared, falling back on his hands again and breaking down in tears. "P-please, call the police! I-I'm going to confess my crimes and take responsibility for it all!"

Students broke out in an uproar, their confusion building up by the moment. Izuku and Ryuji glanced around the crowd, amazed by the response and the result of their work. The teachers moved through the crowds, ordering all the students to return to class. It would take a while before anyone would listen, as they were too busy building on the conversation of why this happened and how. Through the murmurs, one thing stuck out to Izuku and Ryuji:

"So those phantom thief guys are actually real?"

Izuku spared Makoto a glance, seeing that the brunette was watching him from the side in apprehension. Izuku wasn't sure would be enough to say it from this distance, but he gave her a single nod. This was what they had been waiting for all along. It was finished.

Ann took a deep breath as she felt a wave of relief wash over her. Waiting for this day had been a burden of its own. And to have it all come crashing down so quickly, she couldn't help but feel like a weight was lifted from her shoulders. She looked back at her phone, giving a small but sad smile as she changed the perspective to face her. "It's over, Shiho."

On the other end, the brunette buried her face in her palms, soft sobs echoing through the speaker. She had set her phone down to the side but her words could still be heard.

" _You-you guys… you really really did it… I-I'm so… thank you, Ann…"_

 **To be continued…**

 **Quick thanks to nitewind once again for his hard work now that he's the beta of two of my stories :)**

 **Alright guys, I'm gonna call the chapter there. I think ending it on the most important point of the chapter is probably best. So expect the next chapter to start moments after this big event.**

 **And so ends the reign of Kamoshida. Now that the more personal quest is over, it is time for the Phantom Thieves to take a step forward. Things have been pretty close to the original story of Persona 5 with moderate changes but, perhaps sooner or later than you thought, things are going to begin shifting. How or in what way, well… you'll just have to see :)**

 **With that, I bid you all farewell until next time. Please leave a review, a follow and a favorite if you'd be so kind. I'm always thankful for the support of my readers. Have a good day!**


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I own neither My Hero Academia or the Persona series.**

Chapter 17

 **(Persona 5 OST: Confession Secret/Piano version)**

It took some time for the gymnasium to finally empty itself of students. So many were absorbed into conversations of Kamoshida's actions and the supposed Phantom Thieves of Hearts, teachers were forced to herd them out. Ryuji, Ann, and Izuku hung back, quickly wanting to convene after Kamoshida's confession. Instead of immediately calling the police, principal Kobayakawa carried Kamoshida off, likely in hopes of salvaging the situation rather than let it continue to devolve. But no matter what Kobayakawa might do, there was no saving face for the volleyball coach or his career.

"I… can barely believe that all just happened…" Ryuji muttered, scratching the back of his head and looking at Izuku. "That was, like… everything we wanted all in one sitting. Didn't even think it would go like that, you know?"

"Y-yeah… I was hoping what we did in the cognitive world would be effective, but that was… almost like something out of a dream." Izuku admitted, a frown crossing his features as he wrestled with the mess of thoughts filtering through his mind.

"Even so, it worked. His heart really did change…" Ann said, her voice quiet as she focused on the spot of the stage where Kamoshida had knelt.

"Yeah, it did. I dunno why I'm trippin', but I guess it's 'cause it happened so fast…" Ryuji mumbled, turning his attention back to Izuku. "This was the right thing to do, right?"

"... It was." Izuku nodded, eyes lowering to the ground. "I wrestled with the idea for a while, but… after seeing Suzui-sempai… I know it was for the best. Kamoshida admitted to his crimes, didn't die and is going to jail. We… honestly couldn't hope for a better result."

"Yeah… yeah, you're right." Ryuji nodded, biting his bottom lip. "Guess I'm still in shock, is all. Maybe we should-" he paused when he caught sight of several people approaching, he and Izuku craning their heads to see Mishima and two other second year girls walking up to them.

"Takamaki-san…" Mishima called out, finally drawing Ann's attention their way. With a low bow, Mishima's voice trembled as he spoke, "I'm so sorry!"

"Huh?" Ann blinked, looking down at Mishima in confusion.

"I… I knew what Kamoshida was doing to people, to you, but didn't speak up… I was afraid to be the next target every day, that I… I'm sorry." Mishima declared, his hands gripping at his sides. "Everyone who knew what Kamoshida was like knew what he was doing to you… but we felt safer pretending we didn't."

"Even though we didn't know about Kamoshida, we were still just as guilty." The taller girl of the two admitted, her voice showing her concern. "I had you all wrong. I spread rumors like every other idiot. I'm so sorry for thinking so little of you…"

"I had no idea Kamoshida put you through so much… I can't even begin to know where to start with an apology." the shorter girl said, looking down at the ground in shame. "A lot of people want to apologize, I'm sure. So many of us just assumed about what kind of person you are. We're so sorry…"

Ann spared a glance across the three, seeing the sincerity in their words and offering a small sullen smile. "It's okay… I'm sorry, too. I didn't feel like making an effort in trying to make more friends than Shiho, anyway. But it's all in the past now with Kamoshida. So I'm ready to move on."

The girls stared thankfully back at Ann, relieved that the platinum blonde was willing to forgive them for their shallowness. Mishima couldn't smile though, his gaze shifting over to Izuku now as anxiousness filled him. He slowly walked up to Izuku, causing the green haired teen to blink. "I'm so sorry…"

"Huh? W-why?" Izuku asked, staring at Mishima in confusion.

"I-it… it was me who spread your criminal record on social media." Mishima admitted, causing Izuku to widen his eyes. Ryuji and Ann shared a look of disbelief, staring down at the now bowing boy. "Kamoshida, he… he had me do it. Told me to spread it out for people to see… But even so, I-I'm just as guilty for it as him… I'm sorry…"

"Dude…" Ryuji mumbled, shocked as anyone else to hear Mishima admit to the act.

Izuku was certainly shocked by this revelation, but didn't feel any amount of anger or irritation build up within him. Instead, he only felt sympathetic for the boy. It was hard to be mad at anyone who was being crushed under Kamoshida's thumb like that. "You have nothing to apologize for… Kamoshida hurt a lot of people including you. I don't blame anyone for what was said or how except for Kamoshida. And he's going to pay for his crimes."

Mishima slowly looked back up at Izuku, his expression looking conflicted and hesitant. But before more could be said, a nameless teacher quickly approached the group with a glare. "Hey! Hurry up and get to your classes! No more loitering around."

"W-well, I guess we'll see you in class, Takamaki-san." The tall girl of the group said, offering a small bow before turning around and leaving. Mishima spared a hesitant look at the teacher before turning back to Izuku.

"I… I'll make it up to you somehow… I promise." Mishima declared before quickly shuffling off.

"Hey, Mishima." Ann called out before the plain boy was gone. He stopped at the doorway, looking back at her in question. "When you get the chance, you should visit Shiho. You really helped her out by starting that petition. I think Recovery Girl wants to meet you too."

Mishima blinked in shock, a mixture of emotions welling up within him. It was easy to tell that he looked close to crying, but quickly shook his head as he tried to salvage himself from any embarrassment. "O...Okay. I might just do that if she'll see me." He said, giving Ann a small smile before leaving. The platinum blonde smiled before finally turning to Izuku and Ryuji.

"Let's meet up at the usual place. We'll talk about everything then." Izuku suggested, earning a nod from both Ryuji and Ann in acceptance before they finally departed for their classes. As he walked down the hall in silence, Izuku heard the chime of his phone, pulling it out and immediately seeing Makoto's nickname across the screen. He released a nervous breath, quickly tapping on her name and reading the message:

 _Makoto: We need to talk. What just happened was surreal._

Izuku bit his bottom lip, having dreaded the conversation he had put off for so long now. But, wanting to keep his promise, Izuku quickly reassured himself before replying.

 _Izuku: Okay. Tomorrow, let's meet. I'm sorry to have made you wait so long. I'll explain everything._

* * *

"Man, people weren't so judgy today as usual." Ryuji said, leaning back in his chair as he sat across from Izuku. They had swiftly made their way to the rooftop the moment school had ended, wanting to talk about their "I guess after seein' Kamoshida's true colors, he's not the only one who had a change of heart."

"Really? It still felt like I was being given a wide berth." Izuku chuckled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head as he thought back to his classes. If anything, it almost seemed like they were giving him more space than usual.

"Really? Huh… weird." Ryuji hummed, though only giving a shrug. "I'm sure it's no big deal. People're prolly just freaked out over everything Kamoshida said."

"Speaking of Kamoshida, I think I've figured out how we avoided causing the mental breakdown." Morgana announced, bringing their attention to him. "Leaving his Shadow alive was only part of why one didn't occur. Because we were able to send the Shadow back to his real self, it wouldn't perish with the rest of the palace when it collapsed. So long as we continue that trend, we won't have to worry about causing any cognitive collapses."

"Whoa, so that's it?! Awesome!" Ryuji cowed, quickly slapping Izuku on the back in reassurance. "See? Now we don't gotta worry about any bad crap happenin' because of us so long as we do it right!"

"Y-yeah, I suppose so." Izuku smiled, likely more relieved than anyone else to see their actions were able to bring about the most positive scenario. Now that the shock of the suddenness of Kamoshida's confession was gone, there was no denying that they were all in high spirits. Izuku couldn't be prouder of their group for being able to achieve their ultimate goal.

"Try not to let the entire school know we're up here, would you?" Ann called out, entering the rooftop and joining the three while her gaze was fixed on Ryuji.

"Heh, it's fine. Don't worry so much. We just had a big victory, didn't we?" Ryuji carelessly waved off, earning a small eye roll from Ann, though she couldn't conceal her own merth as she smirked. "So, how's Shiho doin'? What you did for her was pretty sweet."

"She's doing okay. Once school ended, I called her up. She said she cried all day, but she's feeling so much better because of it." Ann explained, giving a wistful smile. "She even said that it was just what she needed. But I know she still has a long journey ahead of her before she's going to be fully over it."

"Not to mention all those rumors about you are pretty much dead now. I'm glad things're lookin' up for you." Ryuji commented, smiling up at the platinum blonde.

"That doesn't matter to me. I'm just glad we could give Shiho the justice she deserved. And that she could see it for herself." Ann said, turning a more earnest grin to the three. "I'm just glad I didn't accidently kill Kamoshida's Shadow in the process. That ended up being good for both Shiho and Izuku."

"Yeah, no kiddin'. Good job keepin' yourself from burning him to a crisp. I seriously thought you were gonna back there." Ryuji admitted, giving Ann a kind grin.

"I'm still proud of the choice you made Ann-sempai, even without knowing the consequences." Izuku agreed, looking up at Ann with a sincere smile.

"Lady Ann is simply kind, after all." Morgana chuckled, his voice becoming soft as he addressed Ann as usual.

"Well, I don't know if I would say it was out of kindness." Ann dismissed, waving a hand in front of her face. "I just thought revenge would best be served if he lived to see it all through. Now that he's fully aware of how terrible he is and what he's done, he'll be groveling on his knees for forgiveness for the rest of his life. I think, in a way, that's a fate worse than death."

…

…

…

"Holy shit…" Was Ryuji's eventual answer, the three boys staring up at Ann in both awe and a bit of intimidation.

"I didn't realize Ann-sempai could be that scary…" Izuku muttered, swallowing a lump in his throat.

"I can't say I disagree with her sentiment, but… wow." Morgana chuckled quietly, a little thrown off by the thorns of his rose.

"A-anyway, now that that's over…" Ryuji cleared his throat, trying to move on from the subject, "We should lay low for a bit. Considerin' people knew we were snoopin' around before about Kamoshida, they're definitely gonna look at us first over what happened. Not that they'll ever be able to find out about the other world."

"Yeah, fingers are already pointing at you both. Mainly Izuku, though." Ann said, causing the green haired teen to widen his eyes and turn his attention back to her. "People think you might have worked together, but that Izuku has some hidden Quirk that he used to make him confess."

"What the shit?!"

"Th-they singled me out?!" Izuku blurted, eyes wide as plates in disbelief. "B-but I'm Quirkless! Everyone knows that after seeing my criminal record!"

"People are brushing that off with you being a late bloomer or that you were somehow able to cover it up from the cops." Ann shrugged, her words causing the green haired teen's shoulders to slump at his sides. "Sorry, that's just what I've been hearing. They think the calling card was just some sort of distraction or some way to make your Quirk activate. You should hear some of the theories people are spinning up."

"I bet none of 'em are even close to what actually went down. If someone were to spin that theory, I'd think their imagination was way too nutty." Ryuji chuckled, reaching over and patting a sulking Izuku on the back in comfort. "Plus, it's not like they can prove you did it. Like you said, you're Quirkless. They can't just make one magically appear."

"Maybe, but… that's not going to stop people from thinking I did it… It also explains why my classmates were staying at a distance..." Izuku mumbled dejectedly, eyes cast to the side in thought. Though, thinking about it, Izuku couldn't help but chuckle. "Well… it's not like anyone had a good opinion of me before, right? So I guess it's something I'll just have to accept."

"Izuku…" Morgana muttered, a bit of sympathy shining in his slitted eyes.

"If that's the worst thing to come of stopping Kamoshida, I'm okay with it." Izuku decided, his lips turning up into a smile. "I have you guys now, so it won't be so lonely." From the beginning, Izuku had always expected to be an outcast among his classmates. It was that way no matter what school he went to. So knowing that he had friends despite his previous circumstances helped to reassure Izuku in spite of it all.

"Aw shucks, man! You're gonna make me blush over here!" Ryuji laughed, reaching over and pulling Izuku into a headlock. "You know I got your back, dude."

"We are a team, after all." Ann smiled in support, giving Izuku a thumbs up.

"As expected of our leader to bear such a cross on his back. Now, moving on, we have one last matter to deal with." Morgana chuckled before tip toeing his way to Izuku's bag. Nuzzling inside, he produced the gold medal that served as Kamoshida's Treasure. "I would like for us to find a way to make use of this medal. It's been annoying to deal with while I'm in the bag."

"Oh, yeah! I almost forgot we had that thing!" Ryuji laughed, releasing Izuku from his dizzying hold and leaning forward to inspect it. "A genuine gold medal, huh? Even though it's from the palace, it sure looks and feels real enough. Maybe we can sell it?"

"I feel like that might raise suspicion, but… it's not like it's the real medal." Izuku hummed, holding his chin in thought. "The real one is likely at his house, so people wouldn't really be able to tie them together…"

"Cool, we're sellin' it then! I'll look up some prices!" Ryuji grinned, quickly pulling out his phone and browsing the internet. It only took him a few moments to find a result, his lips shifting into a frown. "What?! Only thirty thousand yen?! It's an effin' gold medal though! You'd think it was worth more!"

"The amount of actual gold in the medal is probably low. Otherwise a medal this size would go for a much higher price." Izuku suggested, picking the medal up and inspecting it closely.

"Hey, so just throwing this out there, but… remember that time I lent you money in middle school, Ryuji?" Ann suddenly asked, an innocent smile crossing her lips.

"What?! No way that was thirty thousand yens worth!" Ryuji blanched in disbelief, standing up from his seat.

"I mean, of course not, but if you take the years of compound interest I'm sure it would add up." Ann cheekily chuckled, crossing her arms behind her back.

"Interest my ass! I'm almost positive you gotta agree to all that in like… writing or somethin'!" Ryuji exclaimed, eyes quickly looking to Izuku. "Help me out here, man! You're smart and stuff so you would know!"

Izuku looked between the scrutinizing gazes of Ann and Ryuji, some sweat trailing down his face. "I-I'll stay out of this one…" He muttered, bowing his head in apology.

"Oh, come on dude!"

"It's not like I'm going to take **all** of it! I'm sure we'll divide it among the group, so… my portion and then part of your portion!" Ann said with a mischievous grin.

"Oh that is so not cool!" Ryuji complained, shoulders slumping in disbelief.

"Back on topic, I agree we should lay low." Morgana chuckled, obviously amused by the entire conversation. "But if we can get that sold quickly, perhaps we can celebrate with the money?"

"Oh, that's not a bad idea. Maybe we should go somewhere expensive and fancy?" Ryuji suggested in excitement, looking at Ann and Izuku expectantly.

"Oh, what? But I-" Ann began to complain before stopping herself, humming in thought. "Actually, that sounds good. In fact I know a good place we can go. I've been meaning to go there for a while with Shiho."

"Well, I can't really complain where since I owe money…" Ryuji grumbled obediently before turning to Izuku. "You cool with that?"

"I'm up for anything you guys choose. I wouldn't know any other place for us to go, anyways." Izuku chuckled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head. "But I'm looking forward to it!"

"Well, looks like we're in agreement. Though back to the medal, how do you guys plan to sell it? Think we'll be able to get rid of it before your school break is over?" Morgana asked, looking around at the three.

"Usually it would take some time to sell it online, but… the man who sold us our guns…" Izuku mumbled, recalling some of his time spent in the shop looking for better weapons. "I think he told me that if I have something of value he would be willing to purchase…"

"Whoa, really? Sick, dude! Now we don't gotta worry about waitin' for some online buyers!" Ryuji said in excitement.

"Then it's settled. Tomorrow, me and Izuku will handle the selling the medal to the shopkeeper since he seems to like Izuku well enough." Morgana volunteered, a nod of acceptance from the green haired teen.

"If you guys are able to sell it by tomorrow then we should plan for our victory party sometime this week!" Ann suggested hopefully, putting a finger to her chin. "How about on the last day so that we can have one last hoorah before the break ends?"

"So on Children's day, then? Alright, I'm down for that!" Ryuji said with no qualms.

"It will definitely give us something to look forward to on the last day." Izuku smiled, nodding in agreement to the idea.

"Alright, then we've got our plan!" Ann exclaimed, grinning at the three in excitement. "Anything else we need to go over?"

A thought quickly occurred to Izuku, his once mirthful smile slowly morphing into a neutral frown. "Yes, actually… just one more thing." Izuku spoke, drawing their attention to him now. "Before this all started, I promised to let Koto-san know all about what we did… After today, she texted me trying to get some answers. It's… it's going to be difficult to explain, but I've decided that I'm going to tell her everything."

Ann and Ryuji widened their eyes, both hesitating to respond immediately. Morgana hummed in thought, lying down and resting on his front legs. "Well, it wouldn't be very becoming of you to keep hiding it after you promised to share. I don't think it's a problem."

"I get that, but… that's not gonna be the easiest thing to explain in words." Ryuji said, a thoughtful frown crossing his lips. "Hell, I know I'd have a hard time believin' it if my first experience was a nose dive right into it."

"Same here. We got a baptism by fire when it came to the other world." Ann nodded, holding her chin in thought. "But here's the other problem: with no castle left, how can you really prove it to her?"

"K-Koto-san knows that I wouldn't come up with such an elaborate place just for a lie. I think that she'll believe me." Izuku said, hoping that his oldest friend would be willing to take his word for it.

"Well, there is another way we can prove it to her. In fact, I can show it to you all right now." Morgana declared, shifting attention back to him. "It'll be a bit to cover, but with the castle gone…"

"Wait wait wait, we just said we'd lay low." Ryuji said, quickly waving his arms back and forth. "We should at least give it a couple days before goin' around like that again." Ryuji reminded them.

"Good point. I guess we could wait on that." Ann agreed before looking at Izuku. "Do you want us to come along to help back up your story at least?"

Izuku held his chin in thought, considering all of their options before shaking his head. "No, it's okay. It might be better to explain it to her one on one. And since we're trying to lay low for a bit, it might look less suspicious to be by myself."

"Up to you, dude. Just give us a call if she needs some extra convincin' or somethin'." Ryuji suggested, Ann nodding in agreement.

"Thanks guys. I'll be sure to let you know what happens. Hopefully it turns out okay."

* * *

 **(My Hero Academia OST: Mellow Twilight)**

It was only a short while longer that the group continued to converse. With little else left to be said, Izuku and the others parted ways and headed for home. With Kamoshida dealt with, Izuku was now free of his previous anxiety. He walked home with a small smile on his face, ready to put the entire incident behind him.

"Nice to see you with more of a spring in your step." Morgana chuckled, currently leaning over the green haired teen's shoulder. "With how stressed you and Ryuji were over the possible results, it's good to see you loosen up a bit."

"Honestly, having Kamoshida confess today took a huge weight off my shoulders." Izuku admitted, a small smile across his lips. "We can finally move on." Izuku reached forward, pulling the gold painted door knob leading into Leblanc. "I'm back!"

"Ah, perfect timing." Sojiro answered, craning his head slightly to look at green haired teen as he entered and flashing a welcoming smile. "You have a guest."

"A guest?" Izuku blinked before looking at the front of the bar. His body immediately froze, eyes slowly widening as he caught sight of someone he immediately recognized: his mother, Inko Midoriya. The elder Midoriya slowly turned in her stool, inhaling a breath as she saw her son. She looked much like how Izuku left her: a bit aged in the face and round in size. She was an inch or two shorter than her son, her hair a matching green to his. "... Mom?"

"Izuku…" Inko muttered, a slow smile spreading across her lips. Tears immediately began to well up in her eyes, her lower lip trembling as she could barely contain her joy. She stood from her stool, spreading her arms out. "Izuku baby!"

"Mom!" Izuku choked out, ignoring the building tears in his own as he rushed forward and took his mother into a tight hug. Their embrace was long and warm, both pouring their feelings out as soft sobs echoed from both sides. "I've missed you…"

"I have too…" Inko whispered back, rubbing her son's back tenderly. They slowly broke apart, Inko sniffling a bit as she wiped her eyes. "I wish you would call more, but… I'm sure you were still adjusting, so I won't nag you over it."

"Yeah… I'm sorry…" Izuku apologized, rubbing the back of his head with a bit of regret. With so much going on in the past several weeks, he had failed to call his mother at all, having instead sent her several texts in reassurance instead. "Wh-what are you doing here, though?"

"I just wanted to visit, and since it was Golden Week I thought it was a good opportunity… make sure Sojiro here was taking care of you properly." Inko explained, releasing a small chuckle as she turned to the cafe owner in question. "I still can't thank you enough for taking Izuku when you did."

"Think nothing of it. It was the least I could do for an old friend." Sojiro chuckled, crossing his arms over his chest. "Besides, your boy is pretty well behaved. Aside from getting to school late on the first day, I haven't had to worry about any trouble. He even volunteered to help me out a bit around the shop."

"I'm glad. I knew that if I could trust anyone with Izuku, it would be you." Inko said, pulling Izuku over to the counter and taking a seat. "But how are things going for you? How is your new school treating you? I know it was a tough transition, especially with your… with where you actually wanted to go."

Izuku couldn't even begin to tell her how crazy of a month it had actually been for him. Heck, he couldn't even tell her about the stuff that didn't involve the metaverse. There would be no end of worry from his mother. So, focusing on the good that came from it, Izuku gave a genuine smile. "It… it was hard at first, I admit, but… it's actually not so bad anymore. I even made a couple of friends."

Inko blinked in surprise, her jaw slackening a bit as she processed his words. She was fully aware of the troubles he had with his own classmates, but to hear that he had actually made some friends brought an enormous amount of relief to her. "Oh, that's so good to hear… I was so worried that you'd have trouble getting to know others. I'm so happy…" Inko said, wiping the mist from her eyes as she fought back another wave of tears.

"So you made some friends, huh? Good on you. See what happens when you don't draw unnecessary attention to yourself?" Sojiro chuckle, smirking a bit as he pulled out a cigarette.

"Y-yeah, I suppose you're right…" Izuku hesitantly chuckled out, looking away nervously as he scratched the back of his head. _I can't really say I wasn't drawing a bunch of attention to myself this past month…_

"Wh-why don't we go out to dinner? We can talk about this over some food." Inko suggested, her eyes trailing to Sojiro. "You should come too, Sojiro. And if she's willing, why don't you invite Fu-"

"A-ah, naw, that-that's alright!" Sojiro quickly dismissed, causing mother and son to blink in confusion. Sojiro quickly composed himself, coughing into his hand. "I-I've got a shop to run after all. Don't worry about me. You two should run along and get caught up. I'd hate to play third wheel on your little reunion." He chuckled, his voice back to its casual laze.

 _That was strange. I wonder what that was about…_ Izuku mused to himself. There was much he still didn't know about Sojiro though, and guessed it was something about his private matters. The man definitely liked to keep to himself.

"A-ah, I see. No problem then. We'll catch up more when we get back, then…" Inko weakly nodded, though her expression seemed to show a bit of understanding. "Come on, Izuku. I'm sure we can find a nice quiet place to eat at. Have you been to many places?"

"N-no, not really. Just this one beef bowl shop, but that's it." Izuku admitted, remembering when Ryuji had treated him after receiving his Persona.

" _In other news, a local high school volleyball coach was arrested earlier today for crimes of sexual harassment and abuse toward students."_ Izuku immediately hesitated, eyes quickly looking back up at the hanging TV. Sojiro and Inko also shifted their attention back, some recognition in their eyes. A picture of Kamoshida appeared on the screen next to the broadcaster, causing Izuku to inhale a breath. _"Strangely enough, the man confessed to the crime himself in front of the entire school this morning. Whether he was under the influence of a Quirk is still unknown. He is currently in police custody, and more information will soon be given once interviews with the assailant have finished. We took the time today to interview some of the students at this academy and find out how much his actions had affected their lives."_

On the screen, while their faces were hidden by the camera angle, the uniform of the students on screen made it obvious as to what school it was covering. Sojiro and Inko spared a glance at Izuku, inspecting the uniform he was still wearing for confirmation. "So it is a coach from your school…" Sojiro muttered, scratching the back of his head.

"How scary… to have this happen at your school even though you just got there." Inko mumbled out, looking at her son in concern. "Tell me you didn't have to deal with such a horrible man, Izuku."

"W-well, I definitely saw him around, but…" Izuku muttered, trying his best to play it off without exposing just how much he actually had been involved with Kamoshida.

"Geez. Talk about a major setback. I'm sure that's embarrassing for the school." Sojiro hummed before looking back at Izuku. "Well, at least you didn't get swept up in that mess. Things are probably going to get a bit hectic at your school, so I'd continue to keep a low profile, if I were you."

"Y-yeah, I'll try…" Izuku mumbled, thinking it a bit funny that it was already part of his plan to do so. He looked at his mother and gave a somewhat forced smile, hoping to reassure her. "D-don't worry about that, though. I wasn't there long enough to be affected, you know? Let's go and get dinner."

"Y-yeah, okay." Inko nodded, a small bit of concern lingering in her voice before fading as she smiled at her son. "Katsudon is still your favorite, right? Let's see if we can find a restaurant that serves some!"

"We don't have to go through all that trouble, mom. It's okay." Izuku chuckled, but nonetheless appreciative as they walked out the door.

"Those two are certainly close, huh?" Sojiro chuckled, a small smirk playing on the corner of his mouth as his gaze drew back up to the television. "I'm sure you would have been a bit like that. Eh, Wakaba?"

Inside a dark room cluttered by papers, clothes and instant food boxes, a lone girl sat in front of an excessive computer rig, her monitor providing the only bit of light in the room. She was slumped low into her computer chair, her eyes staring at the monitor with envy. On the screen, it depicted the inside of Leblanc, having watched the entire exchange between the Midoriya's and Sojiro in silence. Her thoughts had been locked on one specific moment though, her monitor replaying the hug between Izuku and his mother over and over again. It was like torturing herself, looking at something she couldn't experience ever again. And it was all her fault.

"It must be nice…"

* * *

Izuku had spent quality time with his mother that night until late since he was currently on vacation. Inko even stayed the night at Leblanc with him, Izuku naturally giving her the bed while he slept on the floor. Morgana had finally come out and greeted his mother kindly, Inko taking a quick liking to the cat and tenderly petting him. Morgana certainly didn't refuse the attention and love that the mother gave him, eliciting a few hidden laughs from Izuku. The cat even laid next to her instead of Izuku that night. But with the night come and gone, Inko headed to the public bathhouse, cleaning herself up as she prepared to leave.

"So your mom isn't staying, huh? That's a shame." Sojiro hummed, a bit of disappointment in his expression as smoked behind the bar.

"Yeah. She said that she just wanted to spend some time with me last night but didn't want to impose for too long. I tried to tell her to stay, but she seems pretty adamant." Izuku admitted, somewhat confused by his mother's decision to leave already.

"Well, nothing to do about it if her mind's already made up." Sojiro hummed, messing with the coffee maker and preparing it for any customers that might come in. "Be sure to walk her to the station once she's back."

"Of course." Izuku nodded, having already planned such. The bell of the shop's store suddenly rang, announcing someone's arrival. Izuku half expected it to be his mother, but was soon saw a younger woman with silver hair instead. _She looks so… familiar…_

"Good morning." She greeted, her voice low but no less appealing because of it. Her eyes drifted to Sojiro, flashing a curt smile.

"Morning to you. What'll you have?" He asked, returning the smile with his own.

"The house special, please." Sae said, walking over to the bar and taking a seat. Her eyes landed on Izuku, who unintentionally had been staring at her. "Is something the matter?" She asked, raising a brow. Though unmistakably, she felt a bit of familiarity in seeing the boy as well.

"... Sae-oneesan?" Izuku suddenly blurted out, causing both Sae and Sojiro to blink and look up at Izuku in confusion.

"You two know each other?" Sojiro asked, eyes trailing back and forth between the two.

"... Wait, it can't be…" Sae muttered, holding her chin as realization lit up in her eyes. "Little Izu?"

 **(My Hero Academia OST: Flustered)**

Izuku flushed a bit at the nickname, remembering now that the Nijimura sisters actually both had nicknames for him. Though Makoto was upset the first time Sae used the nickname, likely because she wanted to use it as well. "H-hi, Sae-oneesan… it's been a while."

"What a surprise. It's been almost four years now, right?" Sae said, a small nostalgic smile crossing her lips. "I have to say, you've certainly grown. I guess you couldn't always be shorter than Makoto. But I have to say, I'm certainly surprised to see you here in Tokyo. Did you and your family move into the area or are you simply here on vacation? It is Golden Week after all."

"N-no, due to some… circumstances, I'm actually going to school here." Izuku explained, rubbing the back of his head before a thought occurred. "K-Koto-san hasn't told you? I'm going to Shujin as well."

"Oh, are you? So you've already met back up with Makoto then?" Sae hummed in surprise. "Well, she has been quite busy with her studies. Though she did mention some sort of drama occurring at her school… I thought perhaps she was talking about the incident with the instructor who confessed yesterday, but…"

Another bell jingle from the door, this time Inko being the one to walk inside. "Sorry I took my time. I was having such a refreshing bath." Inko apologized as she entered before looking up, her eyes soon meeting Sae's. "Oh~, Nijima-chan! Is that you?!"

"Ah, Midoriya-san. It's been a while." Sae smiled, turning to the mother and standing up to talk.

"You look gorgeous, Nijima-chan! It's been so long!" Inko said, a bubbly aura radiating from Izuku's mother as she approached the silver haired beauty and grabbed her hands. "I remember that your family had moved to Tokyo, but with such a big city I didn't think we'd run into you here!"

"I suppose the world is a bit smaller than we thought." Sae chuckled, somewhat infected by Inko's attitude.

"Yes, I suppose so." Inko chuckled, but suddenly widened her eyes and looked at her son. "Oh, Izuku! We need to get moving! My train will be arriving soon."

"O-oh, okay! I've got your bag right here, so we can go now!" Izuku said, holding up the meager suitcase that his mother brought along.

"I'm sorry to cut our reunion short, Nijima-chan. My train will be leaving soon, but perhaps next time I'm in town we can get some coffee and catch up!" Inko offered with a smile, eliciting a small chuckle from Sae.

"I would like that. I hope you have a safe trip, Midoriya-san." Sae said in goodbye, looking over to Izuku and smiling. "Perhaps I'll see you around as well, little Izu. Heh, it's strange to call you that now that you've grown up."

"E-eh, i-it's okay. C-completely up to you!" Izuku stuttered out, his face flush again as he quickly dashed past her with his mother's luggage in hand. Admittedly, Izuku was fully aware of how beautiful Sae was. That had been apparent to him since he first met her as a child. Makoto was keen on teasing him over getting so nervous around her when they were little. Hearing her call him by that old nickname she gave him was nerve racking on its own.

"Goodbye, Sojiro. I'll be back soon, I promise. And again, thank you for all your help." Inko said, bowing in appreciation toward the shopkeep.

"Take good care. I'll be seeing you." Sojiro smiled, waving as she and Izuku took their leave. Turning to Sae, Sojiro quirked a brow up. "So, you're familiar with the Midoriya's too, huh?"

"That's right. My family used to live close by to them. Izuku was good friends with my younger sister, in fact." Sae explained, a small smile lining her lips as she recalled the memories. "He was the most adorable thing as a child. My sister used to protect him like a lion over her cubs."

"That doesn't surprise me. The kid's pretty jumpy and shy." Sojiro chuckled, placing Sae's coffee in front of her. "Consider the first cup on the house."

"I'm so surprised that we saw Nijima-chan again. Have you seen her around often?" Inko asked, the two walking through the street toward the train station.

"N-no, this is the first time I've seen Sae-oneesan." Izuku admitted, shaking his head. "B-but I do see Koto-san a lot at school."

"Oh, really?! That's nice to hear. I always wondered if you'd ever be able to see their family again." Inko hummed before her expression took a small turn for sullen. "It… it hit them hard when they lost their father, after all. It was sad to see them going without being able to help them."

Izuku's expression fell, memories of their departure flooding through his head. He had cried a lot that day, standing there saying his goodbyes to Makoto and Sae. He and Makoto hugged for a good while until they were forced apart, the sisters immediately being taken away. "Yeah… but they both seem to have handled it. Koto-san is top in her classes and student council president."

"Oh, really? That's good to hear. Perhaps on my next visit, I'll get to see her again." Inko hummed, a small smile replacing her frown again. As the two walked down to the train station entrance, Inko turned around and took her bag. "I'm happy to see that things have been going good for you so far, Izuku. I was so worried that it might be much harder for you."

"You could stay a little longer, mom. It is Golden Week." Izuku suggested, still somewhat confused by his mother's decision to leave so soon.

"No, this is fine. I was just happy to be able to spend time with you as much as I did. Seeing you smile again after everything you've been through made me so overjoyed." Inko said, tears already building up in her eyes. "I promise to visit again soon, so keep making friends like you have been and stay out of trouble. And keep taking care of Sojiro, too. He can be a bit gruff, but he's got a great heart."

"I will mom. Thanks for coming. I love you." Izuku said, walking up and hugging his mother close. Inko wrapped her arms tightly around her son, bearing a grip that made it seem like she wouldn't let go if given the choice. Morgana suddenly popped his head out of Izuku's bag, letting out an affectionate meow. Inko and Izuku broke the hug, both giggling as Inko reached forward and pet the cat on his head gingerly. With that, Izuku waved goodbye to his mother, watching as she made her way through the station and toward her train.

"You've got such a sweet mother, Izuku." Morgana said sincerely, looking up at the green haired teen. Izuku bit back tears, rubbing his arm over his eyes to push away any water building up.

"Y-yeah… I really do…"

* * *

Izuku had waited until noon before going out for the day. As promised, he was going to meet up with Makoto in Shibuya to finally talk. He made sure to check online beforehand to see when Untouchable closed. Thankfully it would be open until late, meaning he could postpone selling the medal until after his conversation with Makoto. Izuku doubted that this would be a short conversation, after all. With so many bases to cover, it certainly built upon Izuku's anxiety. He was already waiting at Shibuya train station for Makoto, his foot tapping incessantly. "O-okay, what's the best way to explain this? M-maybe I should start with the palace… no, no, that wouldn't make sense out of context. Probably the world itself, first… b-but wait, it's not the same as when I went, I'm not taking her into the cognitive world. I have to start right from the beginning… but at what point is that?!"

"You sure are nervous all of a sudden." Izuku heard the cat's voice. Morgana sat in his bag that rested on a bench, watching him with his head tilted. "You were having such a good time hanging out with your mom, but that quickly turned around."

"H-how am I supposed to tell her, Morgana-san?! I wouldn't believe it without seeing it for myself! This is nothing like a Quirk!" Izuku asked in panic, his eyes cracking as his parade of worries continued to march on. "E-even if I wanted to show her, the palace is gone! I don't have any way to prove it to her!"

"Well, that's not actually true." Morgana hummed, causing Izuku to blink and pause in surprise. "I told you that there was something I needed to show you and the others, after all."

Izuku opened his mouth, a new group of questions arising from Morgana's words. "Midori!" Before he could get a word in though, he heard his familiar nickname called out, quickly turning to the side to see Makoto approaching. Morgana quickly hid himself away, leaving the green haired teen to face the brunette alone. "Sorry if I made you wait."

"A-ah, no, it's okay…" Izuku muttered out, straightening his body out as he stood up to meet her. "I guess you've waited a lot longer than I have, in a way. N-Not that I wanted to, bu-but-"

"Wait. Calm down. Take a moment to breath." Makoto chuckled, holding up a hand to calm him down. She could tell that this was eating him up, giving him a small but sad smile. "Before we even talk about everything, why don't we go and grab some lunch?"

"Huh?" Izuku blinked, shocked by her offer. "B-but… aren't you-"

"Mad? No. I was upset, I won't lie. But since you're keeping your promise and telling me, I can't really be too upset." Makoto reasoned, pushing her bangs behind her ear. "Besides, after… after everything that happened, how can I be mad? You guys succeeded. You put a stop to Kamoshida and made him confess. Whatever the method, you and your friends put a stop to a terrible man. I think that deserves more praise than scorn."

"Koto-san…" Izuku mumbled, some of his troubles beginning to evaporate thanks to Makoto's understanding.

"Come on. There's a quiet little cafe we can go and sit down at. Don't worry, my treat." Makoto smiled before turning away to lead him forward. Izuku smiled, still a bit anxious but thankful for the relief he felt on most of his worries. He quickly caught up to Makoto, the two making their way through the crowded crosswalk leading into the heart of Shibuya. There were large numbers of people out and about, all likely going on their own shopping sprees as they enjoyed the time off given to them for Golden Week. Maneuvering through the crowd, Makoto lead Izuku to a small diner on the second level of a mainstreet building. To his surprise, it was only about half full inside, likely because most were too in a hurry to notice such a quaint diner and were more likely to go to the Big Bang Burger across the street as well as the beef bowl shop.

"You ran into big sis today?" Makoto blinked, mildly surprised to hear about the encounter.

"Yeah. She came by the diner that my current guardian owns." Izuku nodded, sipping on the ice tea Makoto ordered them both.

"I see. I'm sure she was quite a bit pleased to see you again." Makoto hummed before a small smirk edged at the corner of her mouth. "So… did she call you 'little Izu'?" Izuku nearly swallowed his straw, his cheeks flushing the moment he heard the nickname again. He tried to process an answer, but it only came out in a sputtering mess. Makoto merely chuckled, placing a hand over her mouth. "I'll take that as a yes. She's certainly grown more beautiful over time, hasn't she? She grew out of her tomboy phase earlier than I did, though she still likes to ride motorcycles and kickbox."

"Y-yeah, sh-she's still uh-very pretty…" Izuku mumbled shyly, scratching his head furiously as he tried to think of some sort of redirection he could use to escape the embarrassing conversation. Considering the 'nostalgia' steak they were both eating, he was certainly remembering a few similar such talks from before like this.

"You know, whatever happened with Kamoshida, no one can deny how amazing it was to see him confess to his crimes on his own." Makoto said, tactfully switching subjects as she stared down at her tea, leaning her face on one arm. "But… from all the whispers I kept hearing, everyone was looking at you as the culprit with some mystery Quirk… even saying that it only made you even more terrifying…" Her smile was gone, a frown of irritation taking its place.

"Y-yeah, I know. Ann-sempai told me she heard stuff like that too." Izuku admitted, reaching up and rubbing his neck before smiling in reassurance. "But that's okay. I already accepted that even if they look at me like that, I won't mind. I was able to help save the students under Kamoshida. That's enough for me."

"Heh. I was kind of expecting that response." Makoto smiled a bit before it fell again, eyes drifting back to her half eaten food. "You might have been the one to do it, but even so. Kamoshida was the villain in this situation. You would think more would at least cease in their gossip. They don't even know who did it." Makoto looked back up, concern obvious in her eyes. "Are you sure that there's no way that you can be linked to what happened, though?"

"To be perfectly honest… yeah." Izuku admitted, looking to the side in thought. "If an investigation starts up into the cause, it's likely they'll never be able to figure it out… the method is strange, to say the least."

"I see… well, I think we've spent enough time avoiding the subject. Are you ready to tell me everything?" Makoto asked, folding her arms in front of her as she leaned on the booth table.

"... Okay. Now remember Koto-san. I need you to… keep as open of a mind as possible. This is going to sound strange and sound like nothing you would have ever expected… but you have to believe me when I say that everything that I'm about to tell you is completely true." Izuku forewarned, causing Makoto to raise a brow.

"Certainly it can't be that crazy." Makoto suggested, though the sincere expression on Izuku's face told her otherwise. "Well… okay. I'll do my best to be as open minded as possible."

Izuku inhaled a deep breath before beginning to explain everything. From his first encounter in the cognitive world with Ryuji, to the Castle formed by Kamoshida's twisted desires. Meeting Morgana and learning the truth behind the Castle. To Ann's sudden involvement in the case. He spent a great deal of time explaining the cognitive world itself, thinking that if he was able to make that clear enough, the rest of what he had to say would be easier to understand. Makoto was always intelligent and could keep up with complex conversations like this. Though judging from her expression, it wasn't making things any more reasonable. Throughout his monologue, Makoto barely said a word, only throwing in small objections or questions at parts she needed more clarification on. Her expression showed an unsettled discomfort, likely wrestling with the wealth of information that Izuku was feeding her. Izuku expected it to be overwhelming, but hoped that by the end of it all she would be able to at least know that he wasn't lying.

"... And at the end of it, we fought the Shadow version of Kamoshida and took his treasure." Izuku said, reaching the end of his story and breathing out. "Sorry, I was talking for a while. I need to catch my breath."

"R-right…" Makoto mumbled, her head tilted down and holding the tip of her chin as she became thoughtful. Izuku sipped on his tea, watching Makoto anxiously as he waited for any sort of reaction. The lack thereof one yet was not a comfort. Because it meant two things: Either she was trying to process and believe it all, or she already decided that it was all a farce.

"K-Koto-san…" Izuku mumbled out, drawing her attention back up to him. "I-I know this is a lot to take in, and that it might sound extremely outrageous to be real, but… it's all the truth. You know I wouldn't spin up a story like this just to lie to you, right?"

"... Yeah, I know, it's just…" Makoto said quietly, eyes averting from him. "This is… far more complicated than anything I was expecting. I thought that, maybe, you hired someone with a truth telling Quirk or a guilt mounting Quirk perhaps but this… this is beyond imagination."

"I know. If I didn't see it for myself, I probably wouldn't believe it either." Izuku muttered, his hands clenching at his sides. "But with the castle gone, I…" Izuku felt a small nudge from his shoulder back, blinking as he looked down at his side to see Morgana's face peeking through the zipper.

"I told you I have a way to prove it! If she needs more convincing, then do as I say!" Morgana whisper shouted to the green haired teen, causing Izuku's eyes to widen. "Take her back to the train station. I'll tell you more from there."

"Did you hear that? I thought I just heard a cat hissing…" Makoto wondered aloud, eyes glazing over the diner.

"O-oh, no, I didn't!" Izuku laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck before clearing his throat. "A-anyway, I… I think there's one more way I can prove everything to you."

"Oh, really? Even with the… castle gone?" Makoto asked, thinking back to his story.

"That's right. We have to go to the train station, though. Are you okay with that?" Izuku explained, causing the third year to raise a brow.

"I mean… if that's the requirement as you said, then I'm all for it. Let's go."

Izuku stood at the entrance of the station, standing just in front of the escalators leading down to the lower level with Makoto next to him. Izuku quickly brought up the metaverse app, a bit nervous when it came to Morgana's plan.

"So what do we do now?" Makoto asked, waiting patiently for Izuku to continue.

"One second…" Izuku muttered, deciding that hiding Morgana was no longer needed. He unzipped the top of his shoulder bag, the cat immediately popping out.

"A cat?" Makoto blinked, looking up at Izuku in confusion. "Why do you have a cat in your bag?"

"Ah, well you see…" Izuku mumbled, now realizing that he forgot to bring up the fact that Morgana had come to their world and lived with him as a common household cat. "M-maybe it's better if you see for yourself. Okay, Morgana. What am I doing now?"

"All right. Just enter a single keyword. No location or name needed. Type in 'Mementos'." Morgana said, though to Makoto's ears she only heard some light meowing.

"Um… Izuku? Are you talking to your cat?"

"Mementos?" Izuku repeated in question, though doing as he asked.

"Don't worry, this should work perfectly… I think." Morgana said, his last second of doubt nearly causing Izuku to fall over. If this didn't work, he was going to feel pretty embarrassed.

" _Entry found."_

"Huh?" Izuku and Makoto grunted in surprise, both looking at his phone in question.

"Just as I suspected." Morgana grinned from his bag, the world beginning to morph around the three.

Makoto felt a sharp migraine the moment things began to change, her eyes snapping shut just for a second as she grunted in pain. The moment she opened her eyes back up though, she she soon found the entryway to the subway empty. The light of day no longer shined down on them, only an ominous red illumination in its place. "What..?" she muttered out, looking at the distorted sky above them. It was dyed red as if a fire had burned so vastly that it had scattered its plume through the air.

"All according to plan. I told you it would work." Makoto heard a much younger voice, snapping her head to the side quickly. In front of her stood a small large headed cat child, and next to him a masked teen in a black jacket and full body jumpsuit.

Makoto quickly took a step back in surprise, immediately putting up her guard. "Wh-what? Izuku, i-is that you?!"

"O-of course! What makes you say…" Izuku answered before looking down at himself, eyes going wide in disbelief. "W-wait, I'm already in my thief gear?!"

"Of course. The Shadows nearby are already aware of our presence." Morgana answered, though this time eliciting a small jump from Makoto.

"W-where did this small cat kid come from?!" Makoto asked, looking up at Izuku.

"R-relax, Koto-san! This is Morgana, who I told you about earlier! I just forgot to mention that he's also the cat that I was carrying around earlier! We had so much to go over, I missed a few details…" Izuku said, rubbing his neck sheepishly. He drew his attention upward before looking around, the question in his eyes no less than Makoto. "B-but Morgana-san… where are we?"

"Allow me to explain. Makoto-san, do you remember what Izuku said about palaces and how they're formed?" Morgana asked, turning his attention to the older brunette.

"Huh? O-oh… um…" Makoto muttered, holding her chin in thought as she recalled everything. "Yes, that a palace is the manifestation of the twisted desires in one's heart. Something that only exists in... this reality, correct?"

"Nice. Looks like you catch on as quick as Izuku here." Morgana smiled, placing his paws on his hips. "Well, to further elaborate on that, this place is called Mementos. Basically a collection of many different existing palaces combined into one. A lone palace only forms in hearts when the desires become exceedingly twisted. Remember that every living person has a Shadow, but that doesn't mean that they've been twisted by their desires."

"W-wait, so then… anyone's heart can be reached… through here?" Izuku muttered, sweat trailing down his brow as he looked around.

"Wa-wait, let's… let's take a step back for a moment." Makoto said, bringing their attention to her. "I-I'm still processing all of this. Another reality, a 'palace' for everyone… Izuku explained it the best he could and I'm now seeing it for myself, but…" Makoto looked around, staring up at the pulsating sky. "This is… this is inconceivable…"

"I-it's okay. Take your time to process. It was a lot to take in for me, too." Izuku said before looking at Morgana. "You said that there are Shadows close, right? Do we need to get out of here?"

"No, we're safe. They're in the lower levels of Mementos. So long as we stay on the higher level, we're out of harm's way." Morgana explained, crossing his paws over his chest. "I've paid Mementos a visit quite a few times before I went to Kamoshida's palace. I can say for sure that we're in no danger. I was planning to tell the entire group about it at once, but this seemed like a good way to at least offer up some visible proof."

"So… let me get this straight…" Makoto suddenly said, bringing their attention back to her. "The way that you were able to make Kamoshida confess was stealing his 'treasure', which is the physical manifestation of his desires, and taking it out of his palace. It's… it's strange to think about, but the more I analyze it, the more I see the kind of logic behind it. Remove the core powering the cognition and the cognition crumbles."

Morgana's eyes went wide in shock, looking up at Izuku. "Sh-she already understands it all?!"

"That doesn't surprise me. Koto-san has always been really perceptive." Izuku chuckled, giving the cat a small smile.

"To think that such a reality exists… in this case, seeing is believing. I remember when Quirks were considered the world's greatest discovery, but… I dare say that this might be a step above that." Makoto hummed, holding her chin as she looked over at Izuku. "This has been fairly educational. Perhaps we should be getting back, though. As interested as I am, this place is a bit… unsettling."

"O-oh, of course." Izuku nodded, quickly pulling his phone out and opening the navigation app. With several taps, the world around them began to melt away, Makoto widening her eyes as the typical sight of Shibuya train station returned.

" _Welcome back to the real world. Have a nice day."_

"Amazing… so we can enter and exit that world at our leisure… all with a strange navigation app." Makoto hummed in thought, her eyes gazing down at Izuku's phone before trailing up to him. She soon realized that he was suddenly in his everyday clothes again. "I-I had been meaning to ask, but… what was with that costume you were wearing?"

"Ah, those garments are the armor of his soul." Morgana answered, now sitting on the ground as he was returned to cat form. "It is the rebellion in Izuku's heart that manifests as his safeguard in the other world to protect him from his enemies."

"I… see…" Makoto hummed, her eyes staring down at the cat for a moment before blinking. "Wait… how come you can talk in this world now?"

"That's just something that happens when someone goes to the cognitive world." Izuku explained this time. "Before going there, Morgana-san just sounds like a regular cat. But once you go to the cognitive world, they're able to hear him like you do now."

"Ah, I see… that's a bit strange, but I can't say it's the strangest thing I've heard today." Makoto chuckled before looking up at Izuku. "Do you have anything else otherworldly or outlandish to tell me about?"

"Hehe, no, that's about it." Izuku breathed out, giving her a small smile. Considering everything they had already told her, it would be a bit much to go into detail about the Velvet Room. "I think you're completely in the loop, now. I'm sorry it took so long to tell you, but… as you can see, among a few other reasons, it wasn't exactly the easiest thing to explain."

"No doubt about that." Makoto chuckled, a small smile on her own lips. "I appreciate you being honest with me. I know that I've been a bit of a pain, but... I just thought that I could help out more. As it turns out, it was far more complicated than just lending my support."

"N-not at all. Everything you did for us before was helpful. I'm just glad that I could finally tell you after making you wait so long." Izuku admitted, rubbing the back of his head.

"You're also taking this all surprisingly well after your initial shock." Morgana commented, feeling a bit impressed.

"Trust me, it's all still quite a big shock. I'm just using as much of my logic to sort through everything provided." Makoto said, eliciting a small chuckle from the two. "So then, that's it? It's all over?"

"Yes. We can head home now. I'm sure all of this has been-" Izuku started, only for Makoto to shake her head.

"No, not that. I mean now that Kamoshida is behind bars, you're all done now, right?" Makoto said, causing Izuku and Morgana to pause and look up at her. "You no longer have to keep visiting this cognitive world and 'steal' hearts anymore."

Izuku hesitated to answer that, realizing what Makoto was saying. He wasn't sure why, but the mere suggestion of being done caused him to sweat nervously, almost as if he had been called out for planning some scheme before he could even execute it. But the idea of stopping now, after doing so much good… it didn't ring well with him.

"W-well, I wouldn't say that." Morgana suddenly stepped in, clearing his throat. "Izuku here promised to help me with a little personal problem I'm currently trying to solve. Once that's done, well…" Morgana couldn't rightly say it, though. Looking up at Izuku, the two shared their feelings at a glance, an empathetic bond forming briefly between them.

"N-no… I… I don't think we are." Izuku found himself answering, slowly looking back up at Makoto. The brunette third year widened her eyes, alarm and worry shining in her orbs.

"Midori… I want you to think carefully about what you just said." Makoto said quietly, her voice sharp and stern enough to make Izuku wince. "What you guys did by taking down Kamoshida… it was great. I won't say that you did the bad thing in this situation, but… what you guys did. Not only did you take justice into your own hands, but you effectively brainwashed a man, forcing him to feel guilt for his crimes. You are stepping on a very thin line right now."

"I know!" Izuku suddenly snapped, causing Makoto to slightly recoil. Izuku had done so by accident, regret immediately coloring his expression. "I-I'm sorry, but… I know what we did was… was definitely towing the line of right and wrong. That's why I promised that if… if Kamoshida ended up doing something drastic or died, I was going to turn myself in!"

"Wh-what?!" Makoto's eyes widened in shock, this being her first time hearing about the promise Izuku made to himself.

"There was always a danger in what we were doing… and if something had happened to Kamoshida, no matter how bad he was, I could never look up to someone like All-Might again if I pretended that it wasn't my fault." Izuku declared, tears beginning to mist at the corner of his eyes. "B-but in the end, he didn't do any of that… he confessed and turned himself in, Koto-san. I… I think that we can keep doing more good like that."

"Izuku…" Morgana muttered, looking up at the green haired teen with a small bit of pride and awe.

"Midori, you can't! Setting aside the ethics of it for a moment, this could be **very** damning for you!" Makoto snapped, taking a step closer to Izuku in concern. "You're committing acts of vigilantism in a society of heroes! Using a method that overwrites someone's very cognition! You're already on probation, so if you get caught doing this, the courts won't-"

"I know that! But I'm still willing to risk it!" Izuku retorted, his teeth gritting together as he strengthened his resolve. "Heroes risk their lives everyday protecting people, and risk causing damage that could never be fixed to their enemies if they don't hold back! I already decided that I'm willing to risk my life and my freedom if it means saving people!"

"But that's what the heroes are for, Izuku! You always believed in them until now, so why can't you just let them save people?!" Makoto demanded, her frustration beginning to hit a boiling point as Izuku started to dig his feet in.

"Because even if heroes save people, they can't save everyone! Especially those who are suffering in silence!" Izuku exclaimed, causing Makoto to hesitate for a moment. "We… what we did… we helped so many students from having to keep suffering. Suzui-sempai was able to get the justice she deserved. But seeing how much students were suffering and nothing was being done about it… it makes me wonder how many more are suffering like that. How many people are at the mercy of egomaniacs like Kamoshida?" Izuku looked Makoto in the eyes again, a fire of conviction burning bright for her to see. "There are people who are afraid to speak up, or even when they do they're silenced… I… I didn't want to be a hero who operated like this, but… but if we can help more people who are suffering like that, then I want to keep fighting. Even if the world calls us villains or vigilantes, I'm… I'm okay with it."

Makoto gripped her fists in frustration, tempted to reach forward and give Izuku a slap or even a punch. But in the end, she couldn't do it. The conviction in his eyes, the strength in his words. They were bright enough that Makoto was forced to look away, searching for something, anything she could say that would stop him. But she knew that this was how Izuku always was. Even when he was outnumbered by bullies, he would stand his ground and protect the other kids, even if he was crying the entire time. He would take the beating and endure.

"... Fine. Have it your way…" Makoto muttered, releasing a sigh of defeat as she turned her back to him. "I won't tell anyone what you've told me, I can promise you that. But I still think that you need to give up on this thieves business. I'll convince you to give up on it somehow."

"Koto-san…"

"My train should be here soon. I'll see you later." Makoto muttered out, tightening her bag against her shoulder before taking her leave without another word.

"Koto-san, wait-" Izuku called out, but it was in vain. Makoto descended down the stairs, never turning back to look at him. Izuku frowned in worry, hoping that he hadn't just damaged their relationship by making this proclamation. For the first time since he got it, he actually would have liked to hear the arcana he formed with Makoto progress. Instead, he was only met with silence.

"That got pretty intense…" Morgana quietly spoke up, crawling over to Izuku and looking up at him with concern. "Are you okay?"

"... yeah. I just… I hope she'll be able to forgive me for it." Izuku admitted, his voice low and sullen. "She was there for us… for me when it was just me and Ryuji-sempai. I… I wish it hadn't ended up like that."

"Perhaps she just needs to cool her head off." Morgana suggested hopefully, giving a somewhat forced smile. "She had to learn so much today and I'm sure it threw her mind and feelings through the ringer. Who knows, maybe she'll even want to join us once she's given it more thought."

"Heh… I would like to think so…" Izuku dryly chuckled, not putting much stock in such a hope. "I'd be happy to have her on the team. Though I'd still be worried since she doesn't have a Persona…" Izuku released a breath before looking up at the train schedule. His own was swiftly approaching. In the end, he decided to put off his trip to Untouchable until the next day and headed home.

 **To be continued…**

 **Well that was certainly the longest chapter since the Kamoshida battle. There were several things I wanted to get done though, so I was more than willing to do them now rather than trying to wait, the main two being that Inko finally makes her big appearance and Makoto finally learns the truth behind the Phantom Thieves.**

 **I thought Inko's introduction was important because, let's be honest, whoever Ren's parents were, they weren't very present. Even though that's obviously because of how the game wants to give freedom to the player, from a narrative standpoint they're still not very good parents. Inko, on the other hand, is a great mother who loves her son very much. I imagine that having to send Izuku away like this would be heart wrenching for her. Especially because it's not her choice or his, it's being forced on them.**

 **As for Makoto, her and Izuku's relationship continues to be tested a bit due to some conflicted feelings. We'll see how that evolves over time and how it will affect the story overall. So be ready for that, kay?**

 **Anyways, that's it for this chapter. Man, I really put some heavy work into this one. It's a good thing I'm doing some OT and got the chance to finish the last section of it in one go. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and are looking forward to Avengers Infinity War as much as I am. Have a good night and please leave a review, a follow and a favorite for me if you would be so kind!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I own neither My Hero Academia or the Persona series.**

Chapter 18

 **(Persona 5 OST: Meeting)**

Mishima wasn't sure how he got this far, but now that he stood in front of Shiho's hospital room, he could feel whatever bravery he had mustered begin to collapse like a house of cards. He could feel his knees wobbling and the nervous sweat moistening his brow.

After Takamaki had suggested that he visit Suzui, the idea had plagued him for several days. After what he'd done, he felt unworthy of even considering the thought. He didn't know what Shiho would say to him. He didn't know if she would even have anything to say to him. There were definitely things he wanted to get off his chest, but he wasn't sure if this was an appropriate time for it.

 _Relax, just relax… You can do this. I came here to apologize and beg for a way to make it up to her. I've made it this far, I just have to do it!_ Mishima reminded himself, taking several deep breaths as he reached for the doorknob to Suzu's room. His hand immediately froze halfway as his fraying nerves took over again.

 _O-on second thought, maybe I should come back later…_

Mishima sighed in defeat, not quite as ready as he thought he was to face her so soon. He slumped his shoulders and began to slowly back away.

"I can't do it…" He mumbled to himself, beginning to walk back the way he came. But the sound of a sharp click caused the plain boy to tense up, snapping his head back to see the door opening. To his surprise, a familiar elderly woman stepped out of the room.

"R-Recovery Girl?" Mishima blurted out, drawing the Youthful Hero's attention to him.

"Hm? Oh, hello there, young man. Are you here to see Shiho Suzui?" Recovery Girl asked gently, a wrinkled smile stretching across her lips. "I've finished the latest round of her treatment, so she should be well enough to see visitors now. Just know she's a bit tired due to my Quirk."

"O-oh, um… okay…" Mishima replied, swallowing the lump in his throat. But before he could say anything else, he suddenly felt the need to show his gratitude to her, quickly bowing to U.A.'s resident nurse. "M-my name is Yuuki Mishima. T-thank you for everything you've done for Suzui-san! I'm glad to hear that she is recovering well…"

"Oh~! So you're Mishima-kun! I was wondering if I would get the chance to meet you," Recovery Girl replied with a small chuckle, slowly making her way over to the plain boy. "I have to say, I was quite moved by your petition. It was very kind of you to do that for your classmate. I was hoping I'd get to meet you before I completed Suzui-chan's treatment."

"Y-you wanted to meet me?" Mishima mumbled, feeling a burst of happiness spring forth. He became bashful, unable to stop from smiling as he scratched his head. "I-I'm nothing special, really…" Dark thoughts encroached his mind in an instant, his smile failing as he remembered his inability to stand up to Kamoshida. "I'm really not…"

"Nonsense, boy. You had the sense to act when others wouldn't," Recovery Girl dismissed, giving an encouraging smile. "Too often people give their sympathies to the injured without doing much to make things better. You were at least able to give Suzui-chan a chance to get back on her feet by bringing her to my attention. I think that's something special."

She gave him a small wink. "So why don't you go and pay her a visit? She's just about finished healing, so she'll soon be discharged from the hospital tonight."

"O-oh, um… okay," Mishima mumbled, giving a hesitant smile. "Th-thank you again… I'll never forget this."

"Neither will I. Perhaps we'll see each other again, Mishima-kun. Take care," Recovery Girl nodded, slowly trotting past him. Mishima smiled as he watched her go, now feeling proud of his decision to plead to her. Recovery Girl turned out to be a true Hero after all.

Just like the Phantom Thieves.

"Well… guess I can't turn back after that…" Mishima chuckled nervously to himself as he turned back to Shiho's room. Swallowing his fears, the plain boy reached forward and pushed the door open. Inside, he found Shiho sitting on the edge of her bed, rolling her arms to get feeling back in them. It took her a moment before she noticed her guest, as she looked up at Mishima in surprise.

"H-hi Suzui-san…" he forced out.

"Mishima…" Shiho replied, her voice a whisper. An awkward silence swiftly followed, neither Shiho or Mishima knowing where to go from there.

Mishima rubbed his arm and cast his gaze to the ground as he worked up his courage to speak. "M-mind if I come in, Suzui-san?"

"... Okay. Come in," Shiho slowly answered, giving Mishima some relief as he walked inside.

"Thanks… you uh-you look well. Recovery Girl really delivered, huh?" Mishima asked, hoping to clear the air with some small talk.

"Yeah. She is pretty amazing," Shiho nodded, looking down at her now functional arms. "What could have taken around a year to heal was fixed in only a couple weeks. And only that long because she was… seeing my progress."

Mishima noted the small trail off at the end of Shiho's sentence, but didn't put much thought into it.

"That's awesome, I… I'm really happy for you," He offered her a hopeful smile as he looked back up at her.

Another silence encumbered them. Mishima wrung his hands in front of him nervously as he worked up his nerve to continue.

 _Come on, I have to say it. It's why I came here in the first place!_

"Suzui-san, I…" Mishima's words caught in his throat, feeling his eyes mist over as the reminder of his weakness overwhelmed him. "... I'm so sorry… I was too afraid to do anything. I was too much of a coward to ignore what Kamoshida told me to do and… and you suffered for it," Tears rolled down his cheeks as he looked Shiho in the eyes. "P-please… please forgive me for being so useless…"

Shiho didn't answer him immediately. Grief and understanding colored her expression. If he had come a few days ago, she would have definitely blamed him for his part in the pain she suffered that day. But watching Kamoshida's confession had reminded Shiho of who was truly responsible.

After taking deep breath, Shiho finally spoke: "You… have nothing to apologize for, Mishima. You were hurt by Kamoshida like everyone else on the team. I didn't speak up either. We… we were all too afraid to put a stop to it. You knew what would happen if you refused."

"I… would have taken a beating if it meant avoiding what… what happened," Mishima shakily responded, rubbing his eyes on his sleeve. "I should have…"

Shiho didn't know what more she could say. So she only offered what little inspiration was keeping her going right now.

"Well… Kamoshida is gone now. We can… we can at least rest easier knowing that," Shiho suggested, forcing a small smile to give Mishima some reassurance.

"Y-yeah… you're right about that…" Mishima nodded, her words managing to spread the beginnings of a smile across his face. "I uh… I wanted to talk to you about that as well."

Shiho blinked in mild surprise. "You did?"

"Yeah, if you're okay with it. Have you heard much from Takamaki-san how Kamoshida was taken down?" Mishima asked, pulling his shoulder bag off and unzipping the top.

"Well… I saw the confession for myself, but not really much else on how or why…" Shiho mumbled, not sure how to answer that. She remembered that Ann and Izuku had plotted Kamoshida's downfall together, but she never heard the details of how. All she knew was that whatever they did worked extremely well.

"I figured she wouldn't say much. After all, she probably had a hand in it," Mishima chuckled, his mood seemed to lighten immediately as he thought of the Thieves. He produced a small red card from his bag, a strange doodle on the back. Mishima walked over, holding the card out for Shiho to take.

"Before Kamoshida confessed, he randomly took over a week off from school. But before that, a bunch of these cards were posted on the school bulletin board."

Shiho read through the message, eyes lighting up in interest as she reached the end. "The Phantom Thieves of Hearts?" She said the last inscription aloud, unable to discern the reason for sending the message.

"That's right. I'm sure it's because of them that Kamoshida confessed like he did. I don't know if it was a Quirk or something, but whatever it was, it worked wonders. To make him confess in front of the entire school like that was unbelievable! Whoever the Phantom Thieves are, they sure are amazing."

Shiho gave a small smile, his sudden change in mood was infectious. She was grateful to the 'Phantom Thieves' too, after all. "Yeah… I'm sure it took a lot of guts to stand up when no one else would. I wish I could return the favor, somehow."

"Well, I don't know if it's exactly returning the favor, but I think I have an idea of how to show my appreciation," Mishima declared, piquing Shiho's curiosity. "While people know that someone stood up to Kamoshida, most people believe that the calling card they left was just a hoax. But I don't believe that for one second. So I'm going to show that I'm a believer in the Phantom Thieves!"

"How do you plan to do that, though?" asked Shiho.

"Well, like a lot of things nowadays, I thought that taking to the internet would be the best way to make a name for them," Mishima explained, grabbing a chair by the wall so that he could sit at eye level with Shiho. "I'm planning to make a site devoted to the Phantom Thieves and those who believe in them. I want people to know who they are after what they did."

Shiho hummed in thought, finding the plan to be smart and well meaning. "I guess that makes a lot of sense, but… are you sure it will last long though? What if this was the only case the Phantom Thieves decide to take?"

"If it is, then at least they know that someone acknowledges what they did. They were the school's heroes when no one else could be," Mishima said, his grin spreading as he leaned forward.

"But to be honest, I want them to keep saving people like us. I'm sure there are a lot of people who are afraid to speak up about their suffering. The Phantom Thieves give hope to people like that. So maybe… maybe by doing this, I can help inspire them to keep helping people like that. I think it's worth a try."

Shiho took a moment to think. Even though she knew that Ann and Izuku were behind the calling card, she still felt the same as Mishima. They were her heroes. They were the heroes of everyone at Shujin who suffered because of Kamoshida.

Perhaps it was a bit much to ask her best friend to keep doing this for people, but how many people could use heroes like the Phantom Thieves? People trapped by fear and suffering like she was couldn't call out for help. But maybe the Phantom Thieves could free them from that burden. With that decided, Shiho looked back at Mishima, giving a hopeful smile.

"Can I help then?"

* * *

The moment he finished helping Sojiro open shop that morning, Izuku headed for Shibuya. After delaying his visit to Untouchable the day before, Izuku didn't want to waste anymore time. After all, there was no guarantee that the shop owner would even buy it in the first place. But in case the shady shopkeep stayed true to his word, Izuku also made sure to bring a sack full of the loot the Thieves had gathered during their heist.

"Some of this stuff should have some monetary value. I think we'll make a decent yen if this guy actually decides to buy all of it," Morgana said, peeking his head inside the second bag on Izuku's shoulder.

"I hope so. If not, we'll have to start tossing out the loot we gather. People will usually ask where and how we got it if we bring so much stuff at once," Izuku explained, a thoughtful frown lining his lips. "But it's worth a try."

"True. Considering how shady this guy seems, he may not ask too many questions, hopefully," Morgana guessed. He spared a look at Izuku, the green-haired teen looking a bit more distracted than usual. "So… about what you said yesterday..."

"Huh?" Izuku blinked as he looked up at the cat in question. "O-oh, um… which part?"

"You know what I'm talking about. The part when you said you still wanted to be a Phantom Thief!" Morgana swiftly reminded him, a feline grin spreading across his face. "I no doubt felt the same way, but I didn't think you'd say it so plainly! I was just hoping I could work the idea into your mind and then we could convince Lady Ann and idiot Ryuji later."

"So you were planning this from the start, huh?" Izuku muttered, realizing that the cat's scheme hadn't surprised him in the slightest. "W-well, even so, we don't know how Ryuji-senpai or Ann-senpai are going to react. What we're doing is risky. Both the law and the Shadows have it out for us.."

"You can't say they don't understand that at this point. After everything we did in Kamoshida's Palace, I'm sure they're fully aware of the risks," Morgana argued, earning a hum of thought from Izuku.

"I-I suppose you're right… I wonder when we should bring it up, though..?" He replied as he absentmindedly turned a corner to step into the alley leading to Untouchable.

"Hey, come on, Kaoru. It's just a few yen. Nothin' too excessive."

Izuku looked up to see several middle schoolers toward the end of the alley. Three surrounded one kid by himself. He was a young boy that looked only a year younger than Izuku.

The boy, apparently named Kaoru, had a simple bowl cut and wore square framed glasses. The others didn't look bigger or tougher than him, but were flexing their Quirks like a musclebound jock. They were nothing special, one of them flashing his long, edged nails and the other had an array of spikes covering his face. The one leading the bullies had a slightly enlarged hand that gripped Kaoru's shoulder, though Izuku knew that might not be the full extent of its growth.

"I told you, I don't have money. Now leave me alone." The boy, Kaoru if Izuku heard right, retorted with no hidden irritation, trying to push his way past the three.

"Hey man, what the hell? We're just tryin' to hit the arcade up! You don't gotta be so stingy!" One of the bullies in the back huffed as if Kaoru were the asshole in this situation. "Just show us what you've got!"

"Leave him alone!" Izuku quickly shouted, refusing to let this go on any longer than it had to.

"Ah shit, it's some upperclassman…" One of the punks cursed, looking at Izuku in irritation.

"We're just talkin' with our bud. Why don't you stay out of it?" The leader said, not backing down despite the attention they garnered thanks to Izuku.

"I-it doesn't look that way to me," Izuku retorted, gripping his book bag tightly. He didn't want to start a fight, but he had to be ready for one. Just because he was older didn't mean the kids would immediately back off.

"H-hey, Shouji…" The spike faced middle schooler said, tugging on the leader's shoulder. "We should just leave it," He said, pointing forward.

Izuku spared a look behind him, surprised to see a small crowd of people gathering up. He hadn't realized that raising his voice had actually caught some passerby's attention.

"Tch. Fine…" the lead bully conceded, looking back at Kaoru and letting him go. "We'll see you later, pal. Try to be more friendly next time would ya?"

Kaoru didn't answer, only frowning as he watched them leave. The three sidestepped Izuku, the green haired teen watching them cautiously as they walked by. He looked back up at Kaoru, walking up to him now that they were gone.

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm good. You got here just as they started," Kaoru answered, giving a thankful grin. "Their bark is usually worse than their bite, but I appreciate the help. Thanks."

"I didn't really do much. I'm glad nothing came of it, at least." Izuku smiled modestly.

"I 'preciate it too."

Izuku and Kaoru turned when they heard a familiar voice, surprising the green haired teen when he saw the Untouchable shop owner walking up to meet them.

"D-Dad! How long were you there?" Kaoru asked, causing Izuku to do a quick double take.

 _Untouchable's owner is a father?!_

"Just came out for the end of it. Was about to step in if it wasn't for Mumbles over here," the shop owner answered.

"Eh? Mumbles?" Izuku blinked owlishly at his new nickname, but the shopkeeper paid him no mind.

"Are you havin' trouble at school, Kaoru?"

"N-no, they're like that to everyone. I don't get singled out or anything. Plus, they're mostly talk," Kaoru reassured his father, speaking honestly. "B-but forget that. I wanted to come by and see if you needed any help today, Dad."

"I told you, my shop is runnin' fine. Don't worry about it, Kaoru. You've got some exams comin' up, don't you?" The shop owner reminded him, jerking a thumb back down the alley. "You should head home. Make sure you study up good, all right?"

"B-but dad, I-"

"No buts. Go home and study. Got it?" The rough shop owner cut him off, pulling several bills out of his pocket. "Here, get yourself some food while you're at it."

Kaoru opened his mouth to retort but stopped himself short of actually saying anything. With a hesitant nod, he reached out and took the money.

"I understand… see you at home," Kaoru turned to Shibuya's ever-bustling crowd. "Thanks again for your help," He said, giving Izuku a small bow before finally taking off.

"I keep tellin' him not to swing by this place. Maybe I worry him too much…" The shop owner huffed, though he seemed to be talking more to himself than Izuku. He spared a glance at the green haired teen, a small smirk edging at the corner of his mouth.

"I have to say though, I'm shocked. Didn't expect a mumbly, stuttering kid like you to stand up for someone like that."

"Huh? O-oh, well I… I know a thing or two about bullies…" Izuku admitted, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"Now _that_ doesn't surprise me. But nevertheless, I appreciate what you did. We never properly introduced ourselves, did we? I'm Munehisa Iwai."

"I-Izuku Midoriya. Nice to meet you…" Izuku answered, though he wasn't sure if that was the proper response since they had talked several times, even if it was only briefly.

"Well, you obviously came here for a reason. Come on, let's see what you got," Iwai said, turning around and waving for Izuku to follow. Relaxing somewhat, Izuku followed him to Untouchable. Iwai assumed his usual position behind the counter, leaning on the glass as he waited for Izuku to make his request. "Bring me somethin' special?"

"H-how'd you guess I was selling something?"

"The random sack you're totin' around is a dead giveaway. Just hope you brought somethin' of value and not a bunch of random junk." Iwai said, reaching into his jacket and putting a lollipop in his mouth.

"A-ah, well, the main thing I was selling was this…" Izuku reached into the sack, producing the gold medal they received from Kamoshida's Palace. Iwai took it from Izuku, a critical eye examining the medal for a moment.

"Hm… well, it looks authentic enough. Feels like the real deal, too. Still, I'm not sure how much value I can get out of this," Iwai hummed, pulling a laptop out from the counter and opening it up. He took a few minutes to search online for a price. Izuku had done his research even after Ryuji told him the initial price, but thought it best to let Iwai see for himself. "... the hell? This thing is worth thirty thousand yen?"

Iwai spared a look at the medal before looking up at Izuku for a moment. With a huff, he nodded. "Okay. I'll buy it off you at full price."

Izuku's eyes widened, "B-but is that okay? Don't you need to dock off a percentage to make a profit, at least?"

"Normally I would, but I figure that this can be my way of payin' you back for what you did for Kaoru. I'll at least get my money back regardless," Iwai explained, "So you want thirty grand or not?"

"O-oh, um… okay. If you don't mind, I'll accept," Izuku agreed, feeling a bit awkward at accepting full price. He was expecting to get some money, but not this much from the medal alone. It was part of why he brought the loot in the first place.

"Good. Then I'll take that and you… get this…" Iwai reached under his counter again and pulled out a safebox. He tossed the medal inside and pulled out several bills, quickly counting them before handing the money over to Izuku. "So, is that all? Or do you have anything else to show me?"

"O-oh, yes. This was all much smaller stuff, but I wanted to see if you would take them too." Izuku explained, handing the entire sack over to Iwai. Taking a look inside, airsoft shop owner's expression lit up with surprise and curiosity.

"Where the hell did... Ehem," Iwai quickly caught himself, shaking his head. "Right. I shouldn't be askin' questions. That's my policy. But you're stranger than I thought kid," he chuckled.

Izuku gave an awkward laugh in return. Thinking about the contents of the bag, he realized that it was probably suspicious to bring their entire haul in one sitting.

* * *

"I can't believe you walked out of there with 50,000 yen!" Morgana said, feeling pride in the fact that Izuku was able to walk away with far more money than either expected. "I guess it really does pay to take a chance like that. It's a good thing that shopkeep is kind of shady. I doubt you would have been able to sell all of that so quickly anywhere else."

"He didn't ask for I.D. or anything. That's standard practice at a pawn shop," Izuku mumbled, feeling conflicted over their sale. "Iwai-san seems decent, but… I can see why Ryuji-senpai said he was shady."

"You're thinking too much. Besides, you were no less shady selling him all that stuff, you know," Morgana teased, Izuku wincing as he failed to come up with a counterargument.

He stepped through the gates leading to his train, looking up at the neon signs displaying the schedule. "It looks like several trains were delayed today… we might be here for a bit."

"Might as well tell the others that you were able to sell the medal. Now we can finally get our celebration underway," Morgana suggested, Izuku smiling in agreement.

"That's a good idea. Ann-senpai said she would check the prices, so it'll be good if she knows we got the entire amount," Izuku said, quickly pulling his phone out to text his friends.

"Shitty train with its messed up schedule… have to wait here just to get on my own damn line…"

Izuku felt his body tense as he heard the rowdy complaints not so quietly mumbled close by.

 **(My Hero Academia OST: Hero's Shadow)**

 _Th-there's no way that's…_

"Is something wrong, Izuku?" Morgana asked, concerned to see the green-haired teen so stiff.

Slowly turning his head to the left, Izuku felt his eyes widen as he saw a familiar face; One he had mixed feelings at seeing once again.

Katsuki Bakugou, Izuku's former best friend and longtime bully, was furiously mashing his phone with his thumb.

Bakugou still had his explosively spiky blond hair and blood red irises not unlike Makoto. He wore a gold-buttoned gray blazer with blue stripes around the cuffs and along the shoulders. Bakugou had also left his white dress shirt under it untucked and had forgone the use of a tie. A leather bag hung over his shoulder.

 _That's U.A.'s uniform…_ Izuku thought to himself. It didn't surprise him that even when everyone else was on holiday that the Hero Training Course would still be in session.

Of course, Bakugou had gotten in. With his grades, athleticism, and powerful Explosion Quirk, he was practically destined for it.

Bakugou must have felt Izuku's gaze, as the blonde's red eyes immediately turned to glare in Izuku's direction. But the moment their eyes met, both boys stiffened up. The two stared at each other for what felt like the longest moment in their lives. Izuku felt sweat start to build on his brow and gulped before finally breaking the silence between them.

"K-Kacchan…" He stammered out Bakugou's childhood nickname out of habit.

"Deku, you bastard…" Bakugou cursed, his eyes narrowing at the green haired teen in suspicion. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"A-ah, y-you see, m-m-my new school is in Aoyama-Itchome, s-s-so I uh-take the train over and-" Izuku struggled out the best he could.

"Oh, that's right. Heard you got a criminal record and shit," Izuku flinched at Katsuki's blunt response. Not even Kamoshida could make Izuku feel as terrible about his criminal record as Bakugou could. "The teachers at Aldera were total shit at keeping quiet about it."

That didn't surprise Izuku at all. None of his teachers were ever sympathetic to his plight when he was younger.

"I see…" he muttered back, his eyes soon trained on the ground. There was a lot that Izuku was expecting Katsuki to say to him. All of it insulting and degrading in some way. After all, once Makoto left them, that had become Bakugou's only interaction with him.

"What kinda bullshit is that, anyway? How'd a nerd like **you** end up with a criminal record of all things?" Bakugou huffed, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "You don't have a Quirk or any of that shit. What kinda court shoveled up such a shitty conviction? We've all seen people do way worse for way less."

That wasn't the first thing Izuku was expecting out of Bakugou's mouth. He had expected some soul-crushing insults or reminders of his failure to get into U.A. But setting aside the explosive teen's usual lack of tact, everything he said was true.

Izuku hadn't been able to figure out why he received such a harsh punishment over a dispute that was minor compared to most assaults in this day and age. Especially for a teenager who was just about to graduate from middle school.

"I… I don't know. It just… happened that way," Izuku answered honestly, dejectedly rubbing his arm. "But… I'm sure that it had to do with the person I stopped… I don't know how, but… things happened way too fast. Before I knew it, I ended up with a criminal record."

Bakugou was silent, seemingly observing Izuku for some sort of lie or reason to pounce on him. Instead, he merely clicked his tongue and snapped his head away. "Tch. That's what you get for stickin' your nose in somethin' you shouldn'ta, like you always fuckin' did. Such bullshit… and I was lookin' forward to crushin' you myself at the U.A. Entrance Exam. You didn't even get a chance thanks to that shit..."

"Huh?" Izuku's eyes lit up in shock, looking at Bakugou in disbelief. That was nothing at all like what Bakugou had spat at him before his arrest. He specifically remembered him telling Izuku to not even bother taking the test. The way Bakugou was talking was throwing Izuku off. "K-Kacchan… did something happen?"

"Huh?" Bakugou grunted out, violently snapping his body to turn and look at Izuku. "The hell's that supposed to mean, bastard?!"

"A-ah! N-nothing! I di-didn't mean anything by it!" Izuku quickly said, waving his hands in front of him in surrender. "I-I'm just-you d-don't seem as… v-volatile is all!" Izuku went pale after his last statement, realizing that it was practically asking Bakugou to assume his previous role as his bully.

But despite Izuku's fears, Bakugou didn't retaliate with a slew of curses and insults. Instead, the fierce expression he often wore softened. His animalistic scowl became a passive glare, looking away from Izuku as he clicked his tongue.

"Whatever. I don't got the energy to waste on scum outside of U.A."

Despite his biting words, Bakugou's behavior was almost _nice_ compared to how Izuku remembered him. Taking a moment to observe his childhood 'friend', Izuku noticed something different about him entirely. When he would follow Bakugou around as children, he would always radiate this air of superiority and confidence. It was part of what Izuku admired about the explosive teen despite his constant abuse.

But looking at him now, it was almost like someone had punched a hole in that. Something had wounded his pride and shaken his self-assurance that he would always be on top.

The last time Bakugou acted like this, it was after his first loss to Makoto.

Someone had beaten him.

"K-Kacchan."

"What?!" Izuku flinched when Bakugou snapped his head up to look at him.

"N-nothing important-I-I just… wanted to ask how things were going at U.A. for you," Izuku said, trying to determine the source of Bakugou's state. The question itself was enough to cause Katsuki to tense up, like the mention of it was enough to strike a nerve.

"H-how do you think it's goin', scum?! I told you I was gonna become the world's Number One Hero!" Bakugou answered, "That school is just another stepping stone! I'll be at the top again soon enough, so don't forget it!"

"O-of course, I've got no doubt about that!" Izuku quickly said, careful not to fan the flames further by digging any deeper into the subject. He had gotten his answer, anyways.

 _He's not at the top at U.A. So that means… someone beat Kacchan?_

The station echoed with the sound of screeching rails, the two looking up to see a train arriving. Izuku quickly recognized it as the transfer leading to his former hometown. Bakugou huffed, tightening his bag against his shoulder as he lurched forward and prepared to get on.

"See ya, nerd," he murmured out, waiting by the edge of the platform for the doors to open.

Izuku opened his mouth, wanting to say something. Even though their relationship was as bad as it gets, Izuku still felt compelled to try and talk to him. Finally, as the train doors slid open, one subject came to mind.

"Um… I-I saw Koto-san again…"

That one statement was enough to freeze Katsuki in place. Craning his head back, Izuku was met with as intense of a glare as he had ever seen from Bakugou, subconsciously swallowing a lump in his throat.

" **Huh?"**

 _M-maybe telling him wasn't the best idea…_

Izuku shuddered, a nervous sweat breaking out on his brow. "W-we… go to the same school now…" He admitted despite his reservations. "Sh-she's… doing well…"

Bakugou grit his teeth in irritation, brow hardening as he growled out, "Tch, like I give a damn how a **quitter like her** is doing. That bitch is the last person I wanted to hear about…"

"Kacchan…"

"Tell that quitter the next time you see her that she's a goddamn disappointment, Deku!" Bakugou barked, stomping into the train. Izuku flinched, a pang of guilt causing his stomach to knot. Perhaps it would have been better left unsaid, but Izuku felt he needed to tell him despite that.

"That bitch up and quits. You go and get arrested for some dumb shit. You're both morons!"

Izuku didn't say a another word, watching the train doors close as Bakugou refused to spare a single glance back at him. He continued to stare at the train as it departed, only looking away after he felt Morgana's paws tapping his shoulder.

"Who the heck was that?! I don't think I've ever seen such an angry person before in my life! Well, at least from anything I remember," Morgana asked, his voice laced with annoyance. "He was treating you like garbage, too. What's that guy's deal?!"

"That was Kacchan… we grew up together. He used to bully me until we met Koto-san. For a while, we actually got along, until she moved away," Izuku explained, releasing a tired sigh. "He went back to bullying me after that. Though to be honest, the way he acted was nothing like it was before. He… actually seemed kind of concerned."

"That's how he expresses **concern?** I can't imagine what kind of a bully he was…" Morgana muttered, grimacing as he looked back up at Izuku. "Are you okay?"

"Y-yeah, it's just… I wasn't expecting to see Kacchan. Not like this, anyway," Izuku said, though his thoughts still lingered on Bakugou's somber state. Despite their differences, Izuku had full confidence in the idea that Bakugou would become the Number One Hero one day. Still, as strange as it was to say, Bakugou's subdued belligerence was concerning.

 _I… I hope things go well for you, Kacchan. I can't try for it, but I know you'll be the greatest Hero someday._

* * *

 **(Persona 5 OST: My Homie)**

"Holy crap, this place is effin' **amazin'**!" Ryuji hooted.

As the final day of Golden Week approached, Izuku, Ryuji, Ann and Morgana—still hidden inside of Izuku's bag—started their long overdue celebration. Taking Ann's recommendation, the four had arrived at one of Tokyo's classiest hotel buffets.

A rich assortment of food far too extravagant for the average high schooler to enjoy was theirs for the taking. Prize cuts of meat glistened under the glittering crystal chandeliers. Venerated itamae were laying out freshly made pieces of nigiri sushi, glazed to shine like polished jewels, on individual porcelain plates. The intoxicating aroma of hand-crafted pastries, candies, chocolates, and cakes wafted through the aisles.

Even their seats exuded decadence. Instead of individual chairs, the teens were given velvety, satin sofas covered in gold leaf, the kind of furniture you would expect to see in an affluent mansion or villa. No one in the group had been in a restaurant like this before, at first feeling awkward as they seated themselves. But that soon passed as they collected their first plates, enjoying the random selection each of them picked out.

"Oh, this is incredible~! I'd never find anything like this in town!" Ann said through stuffed cheeks, skipping dinner and starting the meal off with a rich, multi-layered chocolate cake.

"Hey, miss model. Shouldn't you be watchin' your calorie intake?" Ryuji teased with a shit-eating grin, eliciting a glare from the twin-tailed blonde.

"Shut up and let me enjoy this! I could never afford sweets like this any other time." Ann retorted, digging her fork into her cake and shoveling it in her mouth.

"You're not much better, Ryuji. With all that meat, I'd feel greasy," Morgana pointed out, looking at the stack of juicy steaks, sizzling burgers, and fat sausages sitting in front of the punk. "Then again, at least you don't eat like a bird. Izuku over here barely filled his plate. You do know this is a buffet, right?"

Ann and Ryuji peered down at Izuku's plate, immediately agreeing with Morgana's assessment. The green haired teen had only picked out yakisoba, grilled chicken and mashed potatoes with a side of soup. As appetizing as they looked, it was was a modestly made plate considering the grand selection available to him.

"Come on, man! Live a little! You could get any of those things just about anywhere," Ryuji encouraged, shaking his head at the plate in disappointment.

"I-I know, but there's so many things I've never tried before. It's kind of intimidating…" Izuku admitted, flustered by the attention given to his food choices.

"That's why it's a buffet! Even if you leave some leftovers, it's no big deal! Try a bunch of stuff and find what you like," Ann suggested kindly, taking a spoonful of angel sponge cake she had sitting at the center of her dessert pile. "Oh god, that's even better than the chocolate~!"

"While I agree, try not to be so narrow-viewed in your choices. Now come on, let's go and pick out my food!" Morgana said, stuffing himself back into Izuku's bag. "We'll pick out a new plate for you to feast on while we're at it."

"Sh-shouldn't I at least finish what I got first?" Izuku asked, looking down at his half eaten plate.

"Dude, don't worry about it. They don't charge extra for stuff you don't finish here," Ryuji dismissed with a wave.

"See? It's fine. Now let's go! I'm starving watching these two pig out," Morgana urged, reaching a paw out and pushing on Izuku's arm. The green haired teen sighed, setting his silverware down and picking up his bag up. He zipped the top closed but left the edge open for the cat to peer through. "Now, to the fish dishes! You got to eat some already, so it's my turn first."

"If we're grabbing them at the same time, it might not matter which I pick first, Morgana-san," Izuku said with a sheepish chuckle, but nonetheless did as he was told. He picked up a plate and looked over the assortment of several grilled fish steaming inside silver platters. Barracuda, nurse shark, swordfish… he hadn't seen half of this stuff alive before, much less on a plate. "They have sushi too. Do you want anything from the grilled fish?"

"It all looks so good~!" Morgana purred in excitement, "I prefer raw, but this is too much to pass up. Get me a small piece of each and then we'll move onto the sushi!"

Izuku smiled at his enthusiasm, carefully picking out several cuts from each platter for the cat.

"Did you hear about the incident at the local high school? Apparently a coach recently came out as a sexual deviant."

Izuku paused as he heard someone talking about Kamoshida yet again.. He peered down the lane to find the source of the chatter: two older patrons, a man and a woman, were casually gossiping about it as they picked out their food.

"Yes, it was quite the scandal. I heard that he came out and confessed in front of the entire school, too. How strange. Do you think he was influenced by a Quirk?"

"Possibly. But even if that's true, a lot of the students have already come out and confirmed his actions. There's no denying the truth of it now."

"This is just a distraction, though. The police and Heroes should be focusing their efforts on solving the mental breakdown cases. Who knows what kind of Villain is causing such a disturbance."

"Still, my sympathies go out to the Shujin students. I imagine it was quite disturbing to have an instructor like that in the school."

Izuku had heard enough, picking at one last fish before moving onto the sushi table. He didn't want to say so, but he felt a shred of irritation at the way the woman dismissed the case so callously. Many students were hurt **because** of the ignorance of the police and Heroes. People needed to know that it happened.

"Don't let it bother you too much, Izuku," Morgana spoke up, drawing the teen's attention down to the cat. Apparently Morgana was becoming adept at picking up on Izuku's emotional cues. "What matters is that it's being talked about. Even if some people would like to ignore that it even happened."

"Y-yeah, you're right. Sorry for worrying you," Izuku agreed, smiling apologetically despite being unable to look at the cat. "Now let's get you some sushi."

"Yes!"

From there, Izuku stacked the plate with salmon and tuna nigiri, hoping to make it easier for Morgana to eat, as well as several rolls to add variety. With Morgana's plate picked out, Izuku moved onto his own. Not wanting to disappoint this time, Izuku selected several prime cuts of brisket, honey ham, and a single beef rib. Making sure to keep a balance in his palate, he added a small side of salad and spinach.

Returning to the table, Izuku and Morgana nearly dropped the plates they were holding the moment they saw Ryuji and Ann. Apparently they had both decided to double down on their already enormous meals. Each of them had twice the amount food they had when Izuku left the table. Ryuji's plate looked like he had taken a quarter of each meat dish and Ann's was a leaning tower of baked goods.

"How can you guys eat so much?!" Morgana asked incredulously, climbing out of Izuku's bag once the green-haired teen sat down. "Can you even finish all of that?"

"Yeah, of course!" Ryuji exclaimed as he took another look at the mountain of meat before him. "I think…"

"Careful, you're starting to sound like Morgana." Ann teased, her words drawing looks of disgust from Morgana and Ryuji.

"Don't even say that!" They both snapped, causing Ann to stifle a laugh while Izuku failed to stop an amused smile from spreading across his lips.

 _This is nice… I don't think I've ever sat around with friends like this._

Even when he was on good terms with Bakugou, he was rarely able to sit around and chat with the kids who were accustomed to following the explosive blond around. They often ignored Izuku's presence and Bakugou was never one for idle chat. Makoto was two grades ahead of them, so she rarely joined them until classes were over .

Realizing that his food was getting cold, Izuku pulled his thoughts out of the past and started to dig in.

"Thank you for the food!"

One bite of the brisket, made from perfectly aged A-5 Wagyu beef, was all it took for him to realize the allure of such an exotic restaurant. It was unbelievably juicy and tender. He didn't even need to chew it to get it to slowly dissolve onto his tongue. The sweet, well-marbled fat melded with the unending savoriness of the meat. Then he tasted the gentle seasonings, black peppercorns, Himalayan salt, cayenne pepper, and other spices he didn't recognize. Each added even more body and complexity to the already astoundingly delicious dish. It was unlike anything he'd ever eaten.

"S-so good…"

"Told ya! The meat is where it's at!" Ryuji laughed, grinning ear to ear as he stuffed his mouth with another slab of meat.

"Wow~! The tuna is to die for!" Morgana quite literally purred, sparing no decency as he nibbled away at his plate.

"I doubt we'll get to enjoy this again anytime soon, so try to take it slow." Ann suggested.

"Like you're one to talk. Look at how much cake you've already shoveled down your throat!" Ryuji once again teased, causing the twin tailed blonde to stick her tongue out at him.

"This is truly a reward worthy of our efforts," Morgana said, licking some sticky rice off of his lips. "Being Phantom Thieves certainly has its perks."

"Oh, speakin' of which, have you guys seen the site made for us?" Ryuji asked, setting his fork down as he began to fish into his pocket. "Someone went and made a site just for the Phantom Thieves!"

"What?" Ann asked, her, Izuku and Morgana drawing their attention up to Ryuji as he held his phone out. They leaned in, looking at a picaresque styled forum. "'The Phantom Thief Aficionado Website'… what exactly do people do on it?"

"It's a forum for people to chat on. A lotta people postin' on there are actually thankin' us! Ain't that crazy?!" Ryuji asked with barely contained excitement. Ann took his phone, looking through the comments people left there.

"'Thank you, Phantom Thieves. I finally had the courage to speak up because of what you did."

"You guys really saved us."

"'I'm finally able to relax thanks to what you guys did. Thank you."

A pleased smile edged across Ann's lips as she read the first set of comments on the list, her cheeks turning rosy as a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment bubbled up in her chest.

"W-wow, I don't know what to say. That's really cool! After all the rumors, I just thought that everyone assumed it was prank."

"Nope. It looks like some of the students were able to see us as real heroes. Nice to know, huh, Izuku?" Morgana asked, a feline grin across his face as he looked up at the green-haired teen.

Izuku was elated beyond belief, in fact. His eyes had already misted up, his lips trembling as he held back a sob of joy. "Y-yeah… it is…" He mumbled out, quickly trying to wipe any stray tears that escaped before he could stop himself.

"I get it. It feels pretty good to get thanked for that stuff, huh?" Ryuji asked, sharing Izuku's feelings over the discovery.

"I was so focused on my own problems that I… I didn't realize we helped as many people as we did," Ann admitted, scrolling through the list of comments. "This does feel good."

Morgana tapped on Izuku's leg with a paw, drawing his attention to him. The cat raised a brow, looking between Ann and Ryuji silently as he tried to signal Izuku. "This might be a good time, you know."

"Huh?" Izuku said, taking a moment to realize what Morgana meant. The words he exchanged with Makoto echoing in his ears. Looking up at Ryuji and Ann, Izuku bit his bottom lip, unsure how to even begin to ask them.

"H-hey guys," he began after a long pause, "What if… what if we kept being Phantom Thieves?"

That question immediately brought a stop to whatever Ryuji and Ann were doing, the two looking back at Izuku in surprise.

"W-wait… really? You want to keep being a Phantom Thief?" Ann asked, a small bit of disbelief in her expression.

"You know… I've actually been thinkin' the same thing," said Ryuji, the faux blond now looking down in thought. "I mean, look at how many people we helped. Bein' a Pro Hero never really occurred to me before, but after puttin' a stop to Kamoshida, it got me thinkin'..."

"Well, well. I have to say I'm surprised to see you were thinking the same thing, Ryuji," Morgana chuckled, looking up at Izuku. "I've wanted to suggest it for a while now, but I knew it wouldn't mean much until Kamoshida confessed. Izuku here admitted a few days ago that he had been thinking about it as well."

"Heh, after everything you've told me, that's not surprising," Ryuji smirked, reaching over and slapping Izuku on the shoulder. "Guess great minds think alike, huh?"

"W-wait, is this really okay, though? It was one thing to take down Kamoshida, but will we really be able to help other people out like this?" Ann asked, seeking some reassurance from the others.

This was no small matter. After all, they're discussing whether or not they were going to continue being Vigilantes. Legally, they'd be Villains, no matter how much good they did.

"I've always hated shitty adults who were lookin' down on others the way Kamoshida did us. Out there, we'll probably find tons of people sufferin' like we did!" Ryuji pointed out, leaning forward on the table as he spoke. "We can stop that kinda stuff from goin' down! If we can get the name of the Phantom Thieves out there, there's no tellin' how many people we'll be able to help!"

"... I… I agree," Ann declared, looking up at the others with newfound resolve. "I mean, with this kind of power, don't we have a responsibility to help? If I just ignored the problems of others just because they didn't involve me, I'll end up being no better than how I was before. I… I don't want to live like that."

"Ann-senpai…" Izuku muttered, his spirits rising as he saw that the four of them shared the desire to keep doing good. "You're right. I still think the method is extreme, but as long as we're careful and only use it to help people, I'm okay with with stealing people's hearts."

"Don't worry. So long as you're under my tutelage, I'll make sure we do things right." Morgana chuckled confidently, pushing up on his paws.

"One thing, though… we're going to have to keep fighting Shadows, aren't we?" Ann asked, her mind quickly going to the danger they faced in the Palace.

"That's right. There's no avoiding that, sadly," Morgana said honestly. "There's no doubt that going down this road will still be quite hazardous. You all need to be aware of the risks we will keep taking."

"You know, after everything we went through in the Palace, I think we'll be just fine. So long as we stick together," Ryuji said confidently, sparing a grin at Izuku. "You down to keep facin' danger like that?"

"If it means saving people, then I'm all for it. And with you guys there, I'll feel a lot more confident in our chances." Izuku agreed, the three now looking at Ann for her final word.

 **(My Hero Academia OST: You Can Become a Hero)**

"... Well, I guess it's decided then," Ann declared, flashing a smile at the three. "The Phantom Thieves will live on."

"Alright then! It's settled!" Ryuji cheered, grinning like a kid in a candy store. "It's time to show this world what we're made of! We can't be Pro Heroes, but we'll save just as many people as any of 'em!"

"Who let these children in the restaurant?" The three paused in their celebration, looking back to see two adults looking down their noses at them. "They certainly can't be regulars."

"I suppose they can't turn away customers nowadays. Even if they're rowdy children."

"Hey, what's your problem?!" Ryuji huffed, glaring at the adults. The couple simply turned a nose up at him, turning and walking away. The faux blond clicked his tongue, resting back in his chair as he seethed in annoyance. "Think we could start with snooty adults like them?'

"Ryuji-senpai, we have to use our power against people hurting others like with Kamoshida. Not just on jerks who get on our nerves," Izuku quickly reminded him. "They're not nice, but they're not criminals as far as we know."

"I know, I know. Adults like that just tick me off, I guess…" Ryuji grumbled bitterly before sighing. "Sorry, didn't mean to let it get me down like that. Back to business! We're officially the Phantom Thieves now!"

"Keep it down!" Morgana hissed as he shot Ryuji a disapproving glare. "We want everyone to know who the Phantom Thieves are. We don't want them to know who **we** are!"

"Right… right… I'll keep it in mind..." the faux blond responded half-heartedly.

"So, Izuku. You okay with leading us again?" Ann asked, looking at the green-haired teen expectantly. "You did a great job of it last time. I think we'll be unstoppable if we follow your lead like before."

"R-really? Y-you think I can keep doing it?" Izuku asked in mild surprise.

"Yeah, dude. You were effin' amazin' when we were goin' through the Castle. You've got my vote, too." Ryuji reassured.

"I'd argue with them, but they're both right. You keep a surprisingly cool head under pressure and know how to draw out everyone's maximum potential. I have confidence in your ability to lead us as well," Morgana said, giving Izuku a smile.

The green haired teen looked at each of them in surprise, his cheeks flushing as he suddenly felt quite embarrassed. "O-okay… I'll do my best!"

"Heh, there we have it. And now we're an official organization. I hope you guys are ready to be put through the wringer. You might just be fledglings now, but I'll get you all in shape."

"Fledglings, huh? That's definitely an accurate way to describe us." Ann chuckled.

"Oh, should we come up with an official name? I just went with Phantom Thieves of Hearts before because it was easy, but we should put a real title on our group now that we're makin' it official!" Ryuji suggested.

"To be honest, I think Phantom Thieves of Hearts works well enough. I'm no good at naming stuff like that, anyways," Izuku admitted, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"If you want to shorten it, we could also just call ourselves the Heart Thieves," Morgana helpfully suggested. "But I don't think either title is particularly bad in this case."

"I'm cool with whatever. I'm no good at naming stuff either." Ann said, offering a pleasant smile. "Phantom Thieves of Hearts is pretty straight to the point."

"Alright then. Let's raise a glass! To-" Ann and Morgana quickly hushed Ryuji, his volume stuck on high as usual. "Oh, sorry. To the Phantom Thieves of Hearts. Let's teach the shitty people of the world hidin' from Heroes that they ain't safe!"

Ann rolled her eyes while Izuku simply laughed at Ryuji's enthusiasm, grabbing his cup and raising it as well. Ann soon followed suit, the three carefully clinking their glasses together.

Toasting to a future as the Phantom Thieves of Hearts.

* * *

"Ah man… I went a little crazy at the end there…" Ryuji groaned as he exited the bathroom. Izuku and Morgana waited for him by the door.

"There was really no need to start shoveling more meat after those first few plates you ate. You really are a special kind of moron," Morgana sighed, shaking his head in disappointment.

"U-up yours…" Ryuji huffed, lacking enough energy to formulate anything better than that. "I can't believe they sectioned off the other bathrooms, though… I almost hurled right there."

"We should hurry back to Ann-senpai. She's waiting for us downstairs," Izuku said, turning to lead them back to the elevator. As he rounded a corner, he was suddenly knocked back by a black suited man, getting a faceful of shoulder. "Ack!"

"H-hey!" Ryuji blurted, catching Izuku as he fell back. Looking up, he saw that the black suited man was part of a larger group, all of them surrounding a bald man with a goatee and shaded glasses. "Hey, what's the big deal?! Watch where you're walkin' asshole!"

The man that bumped Izuku turned to look at the two, only for the bald man at center to grab his shoulder. "We don't have time to deal with brats. Ignore them."

"Yes, sir."

"Hey! Who're you callin' brats?!" Ryuji snapped in irritation, but was stopped as Izuku grabbed his shoulder and shook his head.

"I-it's fine. I'm okay," Izuku said, trying to diffuse the situation. "This isn't worth getting worked up over."

"Tch… still, though…" Ryuji growled, glaring up at the black suited goons.

"Hmph. Since when did this hotel start running a daycare?" The bald man sneered, he and his entourage quickly moving on.

For Izuku though, hearing that man's voice for the second time overwhelmed him with a strange sense of familiarity. _Where… have I heard that voice before?_

" _You damned brat! I'll-"_

"Talk about a real squad of dicks," Ryuji spat, chewing on his bottom lip before looking at Izuku. "Let's get outta here. I've had enough of this place."

"Y-yeah. Okay…" Izuku answered numbly, his eyes focused on the ground as he tried to recall the source of the memory.

"Are you okay? Did he bump into you that hard?" Morgana asked in concern.

"I-I'm fine, just… just a migraine." Izuku insisted, rubbing his forehead.

"If you say so, dude. Let's get goin'. Hopefully Captain Doucher and his crew are already gone." Ryuji huffed, taking the lead this time to the elevator. Izuku didn't move for a moment, trying but failing to place the man's voice again. With a resigned sigh, Izuku let the thought go.

 _It was almost like that guy from back then, but… I'm not sure…_

 **To be continued…**

 **Thanks goes to reppuzan for his hard work as the new beta of Thieves. He's gone out of his way to not only edit the story, but also make notes to help me as I write to improve on the quality of my my writing. I truly appreciate his help in this matter and am happy to learn more about what I need to improve on as a writer. Also, full credit goes to him for the food-porn scenes. He surprised me with the amount of detail put into the groups meal XD**

 **Man, I was on quite the roll this weekend. Aside from a scene I had started previously, I wrote this entire chapter in four days. Nice to know I've still got the itch to keep writing. This chapter was a bit overdue, anyway.**

 **As you saw, quite a bit was done this chapter. We got a more official bond with Iwai beginning to build, Bakugou made his official debut in the story and the Phantom Thieves have finally started their campaign for justice! I'm honestly excited to get this next arc kicked off soon enough!**

… **And here comes the bad news. While I had completed this chapter relatively quick, I'm still a bit burnt on energy when it comes to writing. Now originally, I was going to take a month off from writing, but I think instead I'll lessen that length to the end of May, perhaps a week into June as well. I just need a bit of a recharge. But considering I've got a lot of school coming up over the summer, I do want to get a chapter out for my main stories before then as well. So for now, I'll be taking a short respite. I'm sure you all understand, and know that I'll be back to work on these stories soon enough.**

 **Thank you all for your continued support, please be sure to leave a follow, a favorite, a like and a review if you'd be so kind as to show your support. Have a good day!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I own neither My Hero Academia or the Persona Series**

Chapter 19

 **(Persona 5 OST: Hymn of the Soul)**

"Congratulations are in order, Trickster. Your efforts have borne fruit."

Izuku would have liked to sleep that night without being troubled by a trip to the Velvet Room. It had been a good day aside from the small encounter outside the bathroom at the hotel. The Phantom Thieves had officially become a team and would continue their heroics from the shadows starting tomorrow. A good night's sleep would have been nice. But not one to complain even in unwelcome circumstances, Izuku kept his thoughts to himself.

"To think that our master would give such praise…" Justine said, looking at Izuku with hardly what he would call surprise.

"You better treasure this moment, inmate! I know I was betting a wimp like you wouldn't be able to get this far!" Caroline said, the volume of her voice causing Izuku to wince.

"R-right… thanks…." Izuku mumbled, feeling uneasy under the gaze of the twins.

"You have encountered allies who share your aesthetics, and have found a place for yourself in reality. With this, your rehabilitation can finally begin," Igor said, his words drawing a look of confusion on Izuku's face.

"B-but I thought you said I started my rehabilitation… whatever that is."

The long-nosed man chuckled. "Allow me to explain. This first battle you faced against the beast of lust was merely a test to see if you were capable of handling the trials to come. You have acquired special potential, to be able to wield multiple Personas and strengthen them through bonds. But you have only just begun to tap into the possibilities. You must hone and refine this power so that you may stand against the coming ruin. **That** is the rehabilitation cast upon you."

Izuku thought over his next question carefully. As much as he would like to find out what the 'coming ruin' was, he doubted that Igor or the twins would give him that information. Instead, he focused on what he could work on:

"How will I be able to get stronger, then?"

"There are various ways to increasing your strength. Fighting Shadows and gaining experience is one way. The fusion process that I taught you on your last visit is another."

Caroline smirked. "Feel free to grovel in thanks, inmate. This is all possible thanks to our master's guidance."

"This may be presumptuous of us, but we have words of wisdom to share as well," Justine said this time.

"When you're out in reality, you better keep working on those relationships you've formed contracts with."

"Spending time with those contractors will lead to the cultivation of those relationships."

"I'm sure you've got tons of free time, inmate. Make sure you use it to spend time with those people!"

"That is another source of power to help you overcome the ruin our master has mentioned."

Looking back and forth between Justine and Caroline, Izuku wished only one of them would explain this. Preferably Justine considering her quiet disposition. Having the twins talk in tangent was a bit confusing.

Thankfully, he had already settled the matter of the links in his mind. All that was left was to tell the others about this dream world and how this 'link' came to be.

 _That won't be easy, even with everything we've seen…_

"Thanks to the contracts you've formed, your heart is steadily gaining the power of opposition. With that said, it would seem that you are off to a strong start with your rehabilitation. This is truly a joyous occasion… I shall grant you an ability befitting your newfound growth. Consider it a gift. May your devotion to your rehabilitation grow even deeper. I have high hopes of you."

 ***SMASH***

With Igor's last words, the world darkened, and the familiar crack of chains snapped in his ear.

 **Fool Confidant: RANK THREE**

"With that, you can now possess more Personas at once. I believe this will serve you well."

Izuku heard a faint ringing of his alarm clock echoing around him.

"The time has come. Return to your brief moments of rest."

"Okay, but…" Izuku felt his eyes become heavy, sleep beginning to take him. Despite the complaints he had regarding their vague warnings and mysterious origins, Izuku felt nothing but gratitude toward the three. He wanted to express that, but the creeping exhaustion was making it difficult. "I… thank you. I… really do appreciate the chance to fight, and… to be a… Hero…"

Izuku could barely make out the twins for much longer, but could have sworn he saw a small tinge of surprise on their faces.

* * *

Makoto waited patiently by the principal's office, having been called by Kobayakawa during her free period. It was easy for the student council president to guess what the reason was. Now that school was back in session, there would be no end to the gossip about Kamoshida and his change of heart. Not to mention the supposed 'Quirk' that caused it. Makoto could hardly believe the actual truth behind the matter. Not to mention who the the true culprits behind the change.

"Come in, Niijima-san."

Hearing the principal's voice, Makoto exhaled a breath, standing from her seat in the lobby before walking inside Kobayakawa's office. The plump principal was sitting at his desk, fingers interlocked and a contemplative expression on his face.

"Yes, Principal Kobayakawa? Did you need me for something?"

"Yes. As you're aware, Kamoshida-san has effectively retired. After the stunt that occurred before the break, he was taken into the custody by police of his own volition."

"Well that's good to hear. Many were hurt by his actions," Makoto said, allowing her tone to sound somewhat pleased, even if she had known all of this beforehand. She might have disagreed with Izuku's decision to continue, but there was no doubting the good that came from stopping Kamoshida.

"Good isn't what I would call it. This fiasco is turning heads and making people question the ethics of our staff. Not to mention the many rumors spreading through the school about the culprits behind Kamoshida-san's change," Kobayakawa huffed.

 _That's all you care about? After everything he did?_

Makoto shouldn't have been surprised. She was the one to confirm that the fat principal was playing a part in covering up Kamoshida's abuse in the first place. Of course, Makoto kept those thoughts to herself.

 _Like a good little girl, as usual._

"Someone orchestrated Kamoshida-san's sudden 'change of heart' with a powerful Quirk. I want to find this culprit as quickly as possible to silence all the rumors before they get out of hand. I'm sure these 'Phantom Thieves' are nothing more than students using the guise to hide their true identities," Makoto did her best not to react to the principal's hypothesis. "I'm going to do my part and have the staff pour through the student files to check for any Quirks that might be responsible. As for you, I'd like for you to help by investigating the students more personally."

This took Makoto off guard. "Me? But I'm just a student, sir."

"Be that as it may, you're the Student Council President and one of our brightest students. I trust no one else to be able to get to the bottom of this faster than you. It would be much appreciated if you could help me weed out this problem. This will also make things easier for me to smooth over with the police and the media."

"I…" A thought quickly came to Makoto. If the investigation into the Thieves was left to her, then there really wouldn't be a problem. She could keep Kobayakawa off of Izuku and his friends' backs by feigning ignorance. It was strange that she suddenly found herself covering for Izuku after scolding him so harshly several days before, but she knew that this would be the best way to keep him out of trouble.

"I understand. I'll do what I can."

"Thank you, Niijima-san. I truly appreciate it. If you succeed, I would be more than happy to sign a letter of recommendation to any college of your choosing," Kobayakawa declared. Makoto couldn't stop her jaw from hanging out for a few moments. It was a generous offer.

"Th-Thank you, principal Kobayakawa," In truth, she couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed. That letter of recommendation was something she would never receive.

"Your actions at this school have been exemplary, Niijima-san. It speaks highly of your lineage considering both you and your sister's career," Kobayakawa continued, the mention of Sae causing Makoto to raise a brow in confusion. "If I'm not mistaken, she holds an admirable position at the Public Prosecutor's office. It wouldn't be far off to say that the actions you perform here reflect upon her as well, both good **and** irresponsible. Wouldn't you agree?"

Makoto's leather gloved hand tightened into a fist.

 _How dare he use my sister like this! I… I…_

"... I understand."

As much as Makoto wanted to explode on the principal for his underhanded approach, she knew she couldn't. That would be more irresponsible than anything she could do by letting Izuku and his friends stay in the shadows. So she just closed her eyes and accepted the job with a weak nod.

"How wise. It's no wonder that you're the Student Council President," Kobayakawa chuckled with a smile. "I would like for this matter to be settled quickly. Start as soon as possible, Niijima-san, so that we might be able to put all of this behind us."

"Yes, sir. I'll do what I can," Makoto said, her brow hardening as she fixed him with a resigned glare. To the principal it looked like she was ready to give it her all, but for Makoto it was truly an expression of her distaste. Regardless, she made no further comment on the matter, turning around and taking her leave.

Opening the door, Makoto was mildly surprised to find two officers standing on the other side.

"Ah, officers. Do come in! Sorry if I made you wait! I just finished with my previous meeting," Kobayakawa said, ushering for the two men to enter. Makoto politely stepped to the side, allowing them to walk in before leaving herself. "How can I help you today?"

As Makoto started to close the door behind her, she made out the faintest words from one of the officers.

"Do you have a handle on this situation? We might be in some hot water if you don't!"

Makoto raised a brow, closing the door completely but standing close to the edge to try and listen. It was hard to make out what they were saying as they spoke in nothing but hushed whispers. Despite that, she could hear the heat in their voices, and was able to discern some of it for herself.

"... We were the ones… you paid **us** to keep… That bastard did all that… Our precinct will…"

"Ah, Niijima-san!"

Makoto jumped, having put all of her attention into eavesdropping what she could on the conversation. Looking at the front desk of the office, Kobayakawa's secretary smiled. "Is something wrong?"

"Huh? O-Oh, no! Nothing at all!" Makoto said as she paced towards the exit. "Just a little bit distracted is all. If you'll excuse me!"

Makoto didn't bother to wait for the secretary's farewell, making it to the hall as swiftly as possible. What she heard the officers say drew more questions than answers. It wasn't intelligible enough for a definite answer, but putting what pieces together she had, Makoto came to a conclusion that made her tremble.

 _If what I heard was true, then… those officers were paid off. That means that someone_ _ **did**_ _report Kamoshida. But Kobayakawa bribed them to keep quiet on the matter._

Makoto stopped mid-stride, her hands wrinkling the fabric of her skirt. _So even when someone tried to stop it the right way, it amounted to nothing?!_

" _There are people who are afraid to speak up, or even when they do they're silenced,"_

Makoto's chest ached as she recalled Izuku's words.. Kobayakawa turning his back to the students was one thing, but the police officers were an entirely different beast. For those men to turn their backs on the suffering for a quick buck when their sworn duty was to protect civilians from harm… the very thought shook her to her core.

 _Maybe… Maybe Midori was right._

* * *

The final bell could not have come any sooner for Izuku. Releasing a tense breath, he stood from his seat and moved for the door. Despite the break from Golden Week, the whispers and accusatory looks he received from the rest of class showed no sign of dying down. Combine that with the police officers he saw roaming the halls, the green-haired teen couldn't help but feel pensive.

 _Just relax. They have no way of knowing how we did it. Just have to keep cool and go about my day as usual._

Stepping down the stairs from the third floor, Izuku peered down the second year hallway to see Ann and Ryuji bickering over something.

 **(Persona 5 OST: My Homie)**

"Shaddup! You're barely better than me! You're only good at English!"

"Well, it's better than being bad at everything!"

"Wh-what are you guys arguing about?" Izuku asked as he approached the two, bringing them out of their mildly heated argument.

"Oh, hey man. Nothin' important, just the fact that exams are comin' up soon," Ryuji sighed in disdain, his foot tapping the ground incessantly. "We've been so focused on the whole Kamoshida thing that I haven't studied for nothin'..."

"Oh, please. You wouldn't have studied even if everything was sunshine and rainbows," Ann teased, causing the faux blond to flinch and hunch over.

"I'm inclined to agree with Lady Ann. You definitely would have slacked off," Morgana chuckled, poking his head out from Izuku's bag.

"Sh-shaddup! She doesn't need your help!"

"W-well… if you want I can help you study," Izuku offered, working up his confidence and smiling at Ryuji. "Both of you, if you want. I might be a year behind, but I've taken some of the more advanced classes. Maybe I can help?"

"Wait, for real?" Ryuji blanched, his jaw hanging in amazement. "I didn't know you were that smart!"

"It's true. I've listened in on his classes and can attest to their difficulty," Morgana said, adding his two cents to the matter. "And judging from the papers he gets back, his marks are remarkably high as well."

"That's great! You can help me out then!" Ann cheered, crowding closer to Izuku in enthusiasm. The green-haired teen reddened with every step she took.

 _She's so close!_

"Hey! Don't just hog him for yourself! I need way more help than you do!" Ryuji argued. This time he was the one who stepped forward, taking Izuku by the arm and yanking him closer. "With his help, I'll be able to goof o-I mean focus on looking for our next target!"

" **Shhh!** " was Izuku, Ann and Morgana's immediate response, the platinum blonde reaching out and gripping his blazer.

"Could you be any louder?! The last thing we need right now is to draw more attention to us!" Ann hissed, shaking Ryuji roughly.

"R-right! Sorry!" The last thing he needed was Ann throttling him.

"We should save talk about… that stuff for when we're away from school," Izuku said, looking down and holding his chin. "I don't think using the roof would be a good idea, either. If people see us meeting up there together a lot, they'll be even more suspicious than they are now…"

"That's too bad. I kinda liked hangin' out up there together," Ryuji said, lightly kicking the ground in his disappointment.

"Izuku's right. The roof of the school isn't safe anymore now that the cops are snooping around," said Morgana. "From now on, it would likely be best to move our hideouts around. Sticking to one place for too long will probably bring unwanted attention as well."

"Let's save all that talk for after exams. I doubt we'll be doing much of that stuff until they're done," Ann suggested.

Ryuji let out a discouraged grunt. "I am not lookin' forward to that…"

"Hey guys!"

The three students raised their heads to see Mishima coming down the hall while Morgana tucked himself away. "How's it going?"

"Ah, Mishima-senpai!" Izuku greeted with a smile. "Did you need something?"

"Yeah, actually. I wanted to see if you guys had seen that Phantom Aficionado Website yet. You know, the one dedicated to the Phantom Thieves of Hearts?"

"Yeah, actually. Saw it just a couple days ago. It was cool to see how many people were thankful. To the Thieves I mean!" Ryuji said, quickly trying to correct himself. "What about it?"

"I'm the one who started it," Mishima declared with a proud grin, causing the three to widen their eyes in surprise. Before he could continue, Mishima quickly looked around the halls, leaning around the group as if to make sure the coast was clear.

"Wh-what are you doing, Mishima-senpai?"

"Just making sure no one's listening," Mishima said, eyes narrowed suspiciously before smiling again. "Okay, we should be fine. I just wanted to ask but… you guys are the Phantom Thieves, right?"

Izuku, Ann, and Ryuji immediately tensed up, shocked at being outed so quickly. Almost on instinct, Ann turned to Ryuji and punched him in the shoulder.

"Ow! Hey!"

"I told you to keep a lid on it!"

"W-wait! It's not Sakamoto-kun's fault!" Mishima quickly dismissed, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "I-I just pretty much guessed it. I was pretty close to this case and before you guys sent that letter, you were the only ones to stand up to Kamoshida. Remember?"

"O-Oh, right… I guess you knew about that first-hand." Ryuji grumbled, rubbing his now sore shoulder. The platinum blonde gave an apologetic smile and scratched the back of her head.

"Don't worry, I'm not gonna tell anyone," Mishima reassured, giving a kind smile again. "Considering that it would mean a lot of trouble for you guys, there's no way I'd let that out. Acts of vigilantism might not be high on the cops' priority list, but considering all the attention the school's getting from it, they'd have to make an arrest."

"Y-yeah… that would be really bad for me," Izuku said, swallowing a lump in his throat.

"Kamoshida used me to do some terrible things. To all of you and a lot of other students. I won't say this really makes up for it, but… I want to help you guys as much as I can! So please, if you need anything, let me know!"

Izuku smiled at Mishima's enthusiasm. This was a huge change in spirit from the downtrodden teen he met weeks ago. "Okay. We'll be sure to do that. Thank you, Mishima-senpai!"

"Great!" Mishima smiled back, looking around the group expectantly. "It might be a bit much to ask, but from the look of things the Phantom Thieves aren't going to stop, right? There are so many evil adults out there abusing power like Kamoshida is. I hope that you… that the Phantom Thieves will keep helping out people who need saving from them too. That's why I put the site up: so that people can post their problems there too. Everyone's looking forward to seeing what they'll do next."

"Giving everyone a place to put their problems on… that is a great idea. You really thought this out, Mishima-senpai."

"Well, to be honest, it's not just me… I've actually got someone helping me build the site and maintaining it now," Mishima said, causing the three to look at him in confusion. "They want to meet you guys soon too, but… they need a bit more time. Say, on Sunday, do you think you guys could come and meet them? I know we should all be studying, but this is pretty important to them. They can't do it today or tomorrow because of some… complications, but we promise not to take up too much of your time."

Izuku looked at Ryuji and Ann in question, both shrugging neutrally. Looking back at Mishima, Izuku nodded. "Okay. We'll come on Sunday and see your friend."

"Great! They'll be happy to hear that. I'll see you guys then, okay? Later!" Mishima said, bidding farewell before jogging down the hallway.

"Well, that all happened," Ryuji stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Think he'll actually keep quiet?"

"He seemed okay for it. He was playing it cool as much as possible," Ann suggested, looking at Izuku. "Plus with everything he said, he seemed genuine enough to me. How about you?"

"Yeah, I think Mishima-senpai won't say anything. He seemed like a different person compared to how he was when we first met," Izuku said, smiling at his friends. "I'll believe in him."

"Yeah, you're probably right. The guy seems pretty harmless, anyway," Ryuji agreed.

"Besides, having a forum where people can post their problems sounds unexpectedly useful. It'll give us more chances to make a name for ourselves in the future," Morgana suggested, drawing his teammates attention. "But I'll leave that explanation for later."

"Cryptic as always," Ryuji huffed, shaking his head. "Anyway, I guess we don't gotta start studyin' just yet, right? We should get some downtime before this Sunday when we gotta work our butts off."

"I don't know Ryuji, you might need all the help you can get as soon as possible," he winced as Ann chuckled. "But you're right. I guess I don't mind hanging out for a bit. You two coming?"

"I-"

"No can do. Izuku and I have some plans of our own. Sorry about that Lady Ann," Morgana said, causing Izuku to tilt his head in question.

"What do you mean? We don't have any plans…."

"Why yes we do. Now that we've established the Phantom Thieves, we have to make sure we have all the right equipment for our operations. And I have an idea for how we can fix that problem," Morgana said, giving a mischievous cat grin to the green haired teen.

 _Why do I suddenly feel nervous...?_

"Suit yourselves. Just try not to look too suspicious with whatever you're doing," Ryuji shrugged before looking at Ann. "So, still wanna do somethin'?"

"Sure! We should go to the underground mall!" Ann suggested, swaying her arms back and forth at her sides in anticipation. "I've been meaning to get some blouses lately, I just forgot during the break."

"What?! Why are we automatically going to the mall?! That's only fun for you!"

"Oh, hush. I'll buy you food if that'll even things out."

Ryuji opened his mouth but paused, debating the offer for a moment. Finally, he sighed and nodded. "Alright, fine. But I get to choose where we eat!"

"Deal!" Ann grinned before looking at Izuku and Morgana. "Well, guess we'll see you guys later. I've got some shopping to do. Better get your arms ready to carry some big bags, Ryuji!"

"H-hey! That wasn't part of the deal!" but his words fell on deaf ears as Ann marched onward. Ryuji groaned in regret, slowly following after the twin-tailed blonde. "See ya guys later…"

"Heh. Looks like Ryuji's going to have a lot of fun carrying bags around all day, huh?" Morgana chuckled in amusement.

"Yeah, but… those two seem close now. I'm sure they'll end up having fun either way," Izuku smiled, watching his friends descend the stairs.

"Close? As if. It's not like she would…" Morgana doubted before a stray thought made his ears droop. "N-no, no way. You don't think Lady Ann could fall for a monkey like that, do you?!"

"U-um… I don't know…" Izuku muttered, a bead of sweat rolling down his cheek as the cat started to freak out. "Sh-shouldn't we focus on what you have planned?"

"Huh? O-Oh, right… it's impossible anyways, so I should stop worrying," Morgana told himself, shaking his head. "Back to business. Pull out your wallet and open it up."

"My wallet?" Izuku repeated, fishing into his pocket and fishing out an All Might-themed leather wallet.

"Good. Now two cards back on the left fold. I think that's where you put it."

"Put what?" Izuku asked before pulling at the thin card inside. Izuku immediately paled, eyes turning into dinner plates as he immediately remembered the name listed on the card. "Oh… her…"

"That's right. I'd say if anyone can give us the tools we need, it'll be her. Mei Hatsume."

* * *

The train ride from Shibuya to Musutafu was nerve-racking for Izuku. On one hand, he was actually going to see U.A. up close for the first time. On the other, he was meeting with the eccentric girl who thought that people would be willing to test her inventions at risk of severe injury or death without compensation. As impressive as they are, Izuku knew that he wasn't really keen on risking life and limb over them.

Once he arrived, Izuku couldn't help but marvel at the gates of U.A. High School. Unlike most schools, the front gate was electronically monitored with reinforced doors a half-foot thick. They only opened in the presence of a U.A. I.D. card and were locked shut by steel bars within it after all the students had left. The rest of the school was enclosed by a sweeping security wall that was nicknamed the U.A. Barrier. Constructed from the toughest materials money could buy, it was designed to keep out all but the most powerful of Villains. The main building was structured in the shape of a huge "H" with architectural glass rather than brick or plaster. It towered above the gate, displaying its superiority as Japan's number one Hero Training School for all to see.

"Talk about majestic… and this is just a school?!" Morgana asked, no less astonished by the campus than Izuku now that he saw it up close.

"That's right… the school that some of the greatest Heroes in the world attended, including All Might himself." Izuku answered, a wistful gleam visible in his eyes.

 _I… I wonder if I ever had a chance of getting in to begin with._

"Hello~!"

An enthusiastic voice brought Izuku out of his thoughts, looking down at the school gates to see the eccentric engineer Mei walk through, waving as she approached with a staggering swiftness. Her outfit was nearly unchanged from the last time they met, aside from a couple of small additions to the bag on her back.

 **(My Hero Academia OST: Obstacle Course)**

"O-Oh, hello Hatsum-"

"I'm so **glad** you took my offer into consideration!" Izuku barely had a chance to greet her before Mei closed the distance between them instantly. "I know, you saw my babies in action once and you just **had** to come back and see them up close for yourself!"

"W-well, I-"

"You called me just in the nick of time, too! I was planning to test out one of my latest inventions myself tonight! But in answer to my prayers and hard work, I suddenly get a call from you!" Mei took another quick step forward, Izuku flinching as he took a step back in shock.

"R-right, but before that I wanted to-"

"Thanks to you, my babies can be cared for properly without delay! I'll get data I need **and** won't risk injury to myself!" Mei moved another step forward, forcing Izuku to take another trepid step back.

"S-so honest! L-look, Hatsume-san, before we start I-"

"We don't have time to waste! We need to get moving so we can start! I hope you're ready to take the punishment required to ensure my babies grow and mature like they're supposed to!" Mei declared, quickly taking Izuku's wrist and pulling him along. Normally, Izuku would be having a panic attack, but Mei was dragging him along so quickly that he could barely process anything that was going on.

"W-wait, where are we going? Sh-shouldn't we be going to the school?"

"Sadly, I can't test my newborns in any of the labs after a minor explosion one of my babies caused. But have no fear, Power Loader-sensei was kind enough to give me access to an off-campus garage he has for storing extra equipment! We'll be able to conduct all our tests there without problem!"

Izuku would be lying if he said he wasn't a little disappointed. It would have been nice to have a chance to walk across the campus for himself, even if only for a short time. Regardless, that wasn't the reason he came here.

"O-okay. You can lead the-" Izuku suddenly realized that Mei was still towing him by the wrist, his face breaking out in a nervous sweat as his face reddened. He quickly pulled his arm away, causing the eccentric engineer to finally stop.

"F-feel free to keep going! I'm right behind you, don't worry!" Izuku said, trying to mask his fluster with feigned excitement.

Mei blinked once before grinning. "I see that the idea of seeing my babies again has filled you with anticipation as well! As you wish, try to keep up!"

Izuku breathed a sigh of relief, but that relief died when he realized that Mei had sped off without him. He had to sprint to catch the engineer before she vanished from his sight. Despite the long running security wall of the school, Izuku and Mei didn't go far, arriving at a small row of vacant garages just to the side of the campus. Looking around, Izuku spotted a multitude of security cameras, alarms, and sirens. It may have been off-campus, but it was undoubtedly safe.

"Over here! Garage 10!" Mei called out, waving for Izuku to catch up. The green haired teen quickly jogged over, watching as Mei pressed a card key against a scanner near one of the large metal containment doors. They slowly folded itself into the ceiling, revealing a storage space the size of the apartment Izuku and his mom lived in. What equipment was here was pressed against the walls of the garage in the back, leaving plenty of room on the center floor. Seeing the scorch marks on the ground, Izuku guessed that it was the usual spot that Mei used for testing her 'babies'.

 _I hope I don't end up as another scorch mark on the ground…._

"Here we are! THIS IS WHERE THE MAGIC HAPPENS!" The sheer volume of her voice made him jump. "Today was an especially lucky day for me! I usually have to request to take equipment and building materials out a day beforehand. But thankfully, I had already made a request yesterday, so we can start immediately!"

"I-immediately?!" Izuku squeaked out, eyes widening as large as plates as he snapped his neck back to look at her.

"Oh right, there were several things to discuss first! Starting off, I just want your reassurance that I will not be held legally responsible no matter what bodily harm and/or damage befalls you!" As if to push the point, Mei immediately brought up a paper and pen for Izuku to sign.

"W-wait! A-aren't we going to discuss how you're going to compensate me first?" Izuku asked, holding up his hands as he suddenly found himself wanting some more time to decide on whether he would go through with this deal or not.

"Oh, of course! You did say that instead of being paid that you had another idea for how I can motivate you!" Mei placed the paper and pen back in her pack before crossing her arms. "Okay, lay it on me! How exactly can I help?"

Izuku let out a small breath, trying to steady his beating heart after all the excitement. "S-so I was thinking that maybe… in exchange for doing your tests, you would… be willing to make me some devices I could use as well?"

Mei's ever-present grin turned to a frown as her crosshair irises began to zoom in on Izuku. "Oh, and what exactly would you plan to do with my babies if I did?"

"N-nothing bad, I swear!" Izuku swallowed another lump in his throat as he remembered what he had rehearsed with Morgana.

 _I hate to lie like this, but I don't have a choice. Her equipment could be really helpful in a Palace…_

"Y-you see, I go to another Hero Training school. I know that U.A.'s facilities are the best and I thought I'd be able to get an edge if I went to you! What the Support Courses at my school showed me were nothing compared to what you have!" It was a good thing he went home to change into his casual attire first, otherwise Mei would see through this lie immediately.

Mei's confident smirk returned. "I see… you certainly know brilliance when you see it…" she brought her face uncomfortably close to Izuku's, examining him like a bug under a microscope. "But how do I know that you're not just trying to steal my babies to let my rivals dissect them?! Which Hero School do you go to?!"

"K-Ketsubutsu Academy High School!"

"Oh? Ketsubutsu, eh?" Mei backed away for a moment, tilting her chin up in thought. "No one there particularly stood out to me, even among the second and third-years…" Mei shifted her gaze back to Izuku, the-green haired teen stiffening up.

"Hm… what's your Quirk?"

"Huh?" this wasn't one of the questions he expected to hear. "M-My Quirk?"

"Yes. If I do end up making some tools for you to use, I need to know your Quirk so I can design my babies to work with it or around it." Mei explained, her tone unusually professional this time.

"M-My Quirk… I…" Izuku mumbled, hunching over as he suddenly found himself in a corner. Morgana kicked around in his backpack, likely feeling just as nervous as Izuku was.

 _Wh-What do I say?! I can't just make one up or she'll ask me to demonstrate! Think, think think! What can I do, what can I-_

Then it hit him. Inside the Velvet Room, Igor had given him an ability just days before they went to steal Kamoshida's Treasure. He had no idea if it worked outside of the cognitive world, but it was the only shot he had.

"I have… something called a Third Eye," Izuku finally said, looking back up at Mei again. "It helps me see in the dark, see things that normally can't be seen and reveals hidden objects, tracks, and booby traps."

Izuku never got a clear explanation of his Third Eye, but said what he remembered doing with it.

"Oh, a sight-enhancing Quirk like mine then… Interesting… There are only so many options to enhance a non-physical Quirk, but that also means there are few things that could get in the way of it. The possibilities are endless!"

"That's the other thing. Because my Quirk can only help with what I can see, I… need tools that can compensate for my lack of offensive capabilities. I use a wooden staff, but sometimes I feel like that isn't enough. I need something with stopping power that I can use alongside the rest of my equipment," Izuku explained, taking his knowledge of his close-range difficulties in the Palace he had and using them to help his case.

Mei stared at Izuku for a moment, closing the distance between them again. Izuku gulped, backing up enough so that she wasn't right in his face.

"Okay."

Izuku blinked, feeling less nervous as he met Mei's gaze again. "R-Really? You'll do it?"

"I'll do it… **after** you test out at least three of my babies first!" Mei declared with an evil glint in her eyes. "If you're determined to get the best babies possible for your training, then prove it to me! Help me get some data to work with!"

While that wasn't the outcome Izuku was looking for, it worked out all the same. If any of Mei's inventions were half as impressive as what she showed off in Shibuya, he had no doubt that he would come back to help her test out more equipment in the future anyways.

Izuku brought his hands up in front of him and balled his fists, nodding with determination. "I understand! I'll do what I have to! Let me test out your babies!"

Mei's eccentric grin returned, giving Izuku a thumbs up. "Perfect! That's exactly what I wanted to hear! It'll be a pleasure to work with you, guinea pig-I mean test subject!"

"Y-You let it slip again!" Izuku exclaimed in fear before shaking his head. "B-But anyway, my name is Izuku Midoriya. I look forward to working with you, Hatsume-san!"

"And it'll be a pleasure to use you for testing, Midoriya-kun!" Mei laughed, extending an arm and gripping his hand to shake.

 ***SMASH***

Izuku the beginning of his new arcana caught him off guard. It had been some time since he formed a new bond.

 **I am thou, thou art I**

 **Thou hast acquired a new vow.**

 **It shall become the wings of rebellion**

 **That breaketh thy chains of captivity.**

 **With the birth of the Fortune Persona,**

 **I have obtained the winds of Blessing**

 **that shall lead to freedom and new power…**

The darkness faded and Mei continued to shake his hand. "Alright! Now that negotiations have ended, let's start with your first test!"

"Oh, right. What do you need me to test?" Izuku asked, watching as Mei set her bag down and began to rummage through it.

"Allow me to introduce my latest baby, the Wire Arrow!" Mei exclaimed, producing a harness from her bag. Attached to its sides were two silver tubes with pointed tips at the ends. They were both connected to a large metal spindle in the back. "Quickly, put this on!"

"O-Oh, okay!" Izuku agreed without thinking, setting his backpack and Morgana down before taking the harness and quickly buckling it across his chest.

"The Wire Arrow was a fun design I picked up from an old anime, but with my own spin on it! Using compressed air, the harness launches a bolt connected to a steel wire that can support over several hundred pounds despite the thin design! Grab that switch under your left arm!"

"Switch?" Izuku looked over himself, quickly finding a small silver button hanging by a wire. "This?"

"Yep! Now, for the purpose of this test, you'll have to face the outside for the best possible result!"

Izuku obeyed, turning back to the open garage door and facing out. On the other side of the garage lot was the treeline that surrounded U.A. "O-Okay! What now?"

"Aim well and try to hit one of the outside trees by pressing on the top button! The air pressure is strong enough to launch the wire arrow accurately at over one hundred meters!" Mei exclaimed as her voice raised in volume, getting more excited with each use of her new 'baby'.

Izuku followed her instructions, positioning his body to match with the closest tree. Pressing the button, Izuku flinched as the left tube shot the bolt out and planted into the tree. Izuku smiled in awe, amazed by the accuracy and speed that the Wire Arrow launched at.

"Th-That was incredible, Hatsume-san! I barely felt it fire and it didn't go off course when I flinched!"

"Right?! And this is just the tip of the iceberg! The Wire Arrow can increase the user's mobility and travel speed exponentially for those without a movement-enhancing Quirk! Okay, now go ahead and press the bottom button!"

"Bottom button?" Izuku repeated, lifting the switch up to see an identical one on the bottom.

"What will this one do **OOO** ~?!"

Izuku immediately regretted pushing the button before finding out its purpose. He was swiftly yanked forward, the spindle on his back wrapping back up and rocketing Izuku toward the tree that the bolt had hooked into.

"Oh, make sure you press the center gauge to release the arrow!"

Izuku fiddled with the switch in panic, pressing what he could if it meant helping to slow him down. Out of sheer luck, he found the switch that released the bolt, winding it back up without using the tree for propulsion. While this had helped to slow him down, it didn't change the fact that he was still hurtling through the air. Izuku flew into the tangle of leaves waiting for him on the other end, getting his stomach caught on a particularly large branch. While it kept him from falling, the impact knocked the wind out of him, the boy falling limp as he hung over the branch.

"That was great, Midoriya-kun! You gave me plenty of data to work with!" Mei called out, though Izuku could barely hear her over the pain he felt in his gut. "Thanks to you, I can tell that the propulsion system is too strong and needs to be recalibrated! I'd say that this partnership of ours is off to a great start!"

Izuku groaned as he wondered how terrible future tests would be.

"Maybe… this was a mistake…"

* * *

 **(Persona 5 OST: Endless Days)**

"Morgana-san… can't I just sleep instead...?"

After Izuku finished giving Mei the data on her Wire Arrow, the green-haired teen made a painful trip back home. He made sure to stop by Takemi's, asking for medicine to help with his bruised stomach. Despite her obvious amusement when she saw him stumble into her clinic in such a state, she was kind enough to give him some painkillers and cooling pads to dull the ache and reduce the swelling free of charge.

Much to his chagrin, Morgana refused to let him rest just yet. The two now sat in front of the tool desk, Izuku hunched over the table with an ice pack taped over the bruise while the cat rested just a few inches away from his head.

"After this. I'm just going to give you a quick rundown on how to make basic infiltration tools," Morgana persisted, Izuku letting out a pained grunt in response. "Alright, when we were in Kamoshida's Palace, you remember seeing several chests that were padlocked, right?"

"Yeah… what about them?"

"Well, as it just so happens, I know how to make lockpicks," Morgana said, puffing out his chest proudly, "If we can make a few for the next Palace we encounter, we'll be able to bring more loot back with us. You might think that we've got enough, but I can assure you that the stuff in the locked chests is way more valuable than the random junk Shadows drop."

"I guess that could come in handy…" His bed still seemed far more attractive than anything he could possibly be learning right now.

"Come on, tough it out. I haven't gotten to the best part!" Morgana hissed, leaning forward and pushing Izuku's shoulder with his paw. "These next tools are important, so sit up and pay attention."

Izuku yawned and forced himself to sit up and hear Morgana out. "Good. Okay, you still have the bag of materials I told you not to sell?"

"Yeah, they're over here," Izuku leaned over the edge of his table, wincing as he felt his bruised stomach ache and sting every time he moved. He powered through and grabbed the sack off the shelf, placing it on the table for Morgana to see. The cat burrowed through the bag, mumbling incoherently as he pawed through the contents. Izuku started to nod off, barely putting up a fight when his eyes became heavy.

"AHA! Perfect!"

"Wh-What?! What is?!" Izuku asked, rousing him from his near sleep again. Morgana pulled his body back out, several loose materials hanging from his mouth.

"I've got the materials we need to make it. So sit up and I'll instruct you on how to…" Morgana stopped short when he saw that Izuku was about to fall over again. "Okay, fine. I'll make this first tool as a demonstration. Try to hold in your amazement once I've finished."

"I'll try…" Izuku honestly tried to give Morgana as much attention as he could muster, but it was proving a daunting task. His head dipped back up and down, each time coming back up in a vain attempt to stay awake.

"And done! Voila!" Morgana declared, sitting back to let Izuku see his creation. He looked back up at Izuku expectantly, only to be disappointed when he saw the boy's head start to dip again. With a groan, he reached a paw forward and smacked the green-haired teen's cheeks lightly.

"Y-Yes! That's amazing, Morgana-san…" Izuku snapped up in panic before his eyes landed on Morgana's supposed tool. It was a white ball poorly wrapped up in thin parchment. "Um… what is it?"

"A smokescreen."

"A smokescreen?" Izuku repeated, his tired brain taking a moment to process the information. "W-wait, a **smokescreen**?!"

That revelation woke him up.

"That's right! All you do is throw it into the ground and POOF! You've got yourself a smokescreen," Morgana explained, sitting tall and puffing out his furry chest. "Impressive, right?"

"Y-Yes! That really is amazing, b-but how did you make it with the stuff we gathered up?!" Izuku asked, carefully taking the ball in his hand and inspecting it closely.

"You'd be surprised what I can throw together with the junk dropped by Shadows," Morgana chuckled, rubbing his head on the back of his paw. "Lockpicks, smokescreens, offensive tools... If a phantom thief needs it, I know how to make it. All we need are the right materials."

"W-Wow… I can't believe it…" Izuku mumbled, placing the ball back on the table. "This will really help when we're inside a Palace… But why didn't you bring this up when we were infiltrating Kamoshida's Palace?"

"Eh, I wasn't so sure you guys would be in this for the long haul. It would have been a waste of time otherwise. But now that I know you are, this felt like an appropriate time to bring it up. Now we'll have a lot more utility at our disposal during our heists."

"I see… that makes sense," Izuku said, nodding in understanding. "So you're going to teach me how to make them?"

"Another time. I was barely able to wake you up with this. We'll have plenty of time to make tools some other night. Why don't you get yourself to bed, now?" Izuku couldn't have heard any more welcome words at that moment, nodding in acceptance and pushing off the table. Izuku lamely dragged his feet to his bed, twisting to fall on his back and avoid his bruise.

 ***ring ring***

Izuku groaned when he heard his phone's text chime go off. He struggled to find his pocket, pathetically attempting to pull it out.

"Geez, I'll get it. Want me to read who it's from?"

"Please…"

"Oh… it's from Makoto Niijima."

Izuku raised his head from his pillow, unable to ignore the message now. He sat up on his elbows, taking the phone from Morgana.

 _Koto-san: Hey, Midori. I know we've been a bit quiet since our last discussion, but there is something I need to tell you. I wanted to find you after school, but I couldn't find you._

Izuku pursed his lips, feeling guilty for not seeking out Makoto to talk things out. But considering how their last discussion ended, he had been afraid to approach her.

 _Izuku: Sorry, I left right after school ended. I had to go meet with someone. What's wrong?_

 _Koto-san: Kobayakawa asked me to investigate the Phantom Thieves._

Izuku nearly dropped his phone on the floor. He imagined that Kobayakawa would leave it up to the police to investigate the case for them. He wouldn't have guessed that the Principal would take a personal interest in the matter.

 _Izuku: I see… what did you say?_

 _Koto-san: That I would do it. It's the best way to keep him off your trail. I can keep up the facade as long as I have to._

Izuku felt a pit form in his stomach. Even when she was mad at him, Makoto was still going out of her way to help him out.

 _Izuku: I see. I'm sorry that I keep causing you trouble like this. Thank you for everything you've done to help us out._

He couldn't leave it like that, not after how things had been.

 _Izuku: And I'm sorry about what happened several days ago. I know that you were just looking out for me and the others. But if I can help people with this, I want to do it._

He waited a moment for Makoto to reply, wondering what she might say. He would be happy if they could move on and get back to being friends again. But ever since things with Kamoshida escalated, their relationship had become tense for one reason or another. The fact that it was all his fault just made things worse.

Finally, Makoto answered:

 _Koto-san: It's okay. I know you could never stop yourself from helping people in need. And after today… I think that you might be right._

Izuku's eyes lit up, rereading the text over and over to make sure he wasn't seeing things. Another text message soon followed.

 _Koto-san: Some things happened today that have me rethinking what I said to you…_

 _Koto-san: I just don't know._

Izuku wondered if Kobayakawa had said something he shouldn't have to Makoto. He had been aware of Kamoshida's abuse after all, so it was easy to guess that he wasn't happy to see the coach confess to his crimes. But seeing Makoto's struggle, he decided to do his best to help her this time.

 _Izuku: We should meet up tomorrow after school. We can talk about what happened then if you want. And I want to hang out again._

Izuku couldn't ignore her feelings. If there was something bothering Makoto, there was no way he could just let it go. He wanted to do whatever he could to start mending fences.

A moment later, his phone chimed again.

 _Koto-san: Okay. I'd like that. We'll meet up at the front of the school._

 _Izuku: Okay, I'll see you then! Good night, Koto-san._

 _Koto-san: Good night, Midori._

"Looks like you sorted some things out. I wonder what's bugging her, though?" Morgana asked. The cat was seated by Izuku's head so he could peek at the messages the teenagers were sending.

"I'm not sure but… I'm glad that she's talking to me again…" Izuku yawned, resting his head back on his pillow. "Really… glad…"

And like that, Izuku was out like a light.

* * *

"Hah~. Today has been a good day of shopping."

Ann and Ryuji had spent the better half of their hang out that day walking from outlet to outlet. The twin-tailed blonde didn't hesitate to tow Ryuji around like a reluctant dog on a leash, his arms becoming a hanger for shopping bags. By the time Ann had gotten her fill, Ryuji was exhausted from hauling them around all evening. Thankfully, Ann kept her word and allowed Ryuji to pick the place they'd stop and eat at. Wanting to relax for a bit, Ryuji suggested the diner on Shibuya's main street.

"Says you! My arms are gonna be effin' sore tomorrow…" Ryuji grumbled, rubbing his exposed arm to massage out some of the marks left by the bag's thin handles.

"Oh, don't be such a baby. I picked out a few things for you too!" Ann said with a wave of her hand. "Plus, I'm buying you dinner. It all ended up working out!"

"You picked somethin' out for me?"

"Yeah! Check the black bag on the far left."

Ryuji turned to the eight bags sitting on the side of their booth. Several of them were black, making the faux blond bite his bottom lip as he took a guess at which bag to look into. The first one he grabbed produced a red bra.

"Not that one!" Ann's face was turning a shade of pink as she reached forward and slapped his shoulder. "The next one over!"

"S-Sorry, sorry!" Ryuji quickly apologized, but it took him a while to tear his eyes away. He moved on to the next bag, rummaging through it to see a couple designer t-shirts and a hoodie inside. Much to Ryuji's surprise, they were all things he'd want to wear.

"Whoa~, these effin' rock! I'm surprised you got stuff I'd actually like! You guessed the size right, too!"

Ann grinned. "Well, you haven't really changed your style since middle school. I figured you might appreciate something loud but fashionable."

"Well, damn… thanks, Ann. These are pretty damn cool," Ryuji said, pulling the shirts out to get a better look at them.

"No worries! I know I was making you carry a lot, so I thought that maybe you deserved a little more than just dinner in return."

"Hey, I'm happy to take both," Ryuji chuckled, grinning at Ann. "Though I'm pretty curious, where do you get the money for all this? Your part-time job pay that good?"

"Well, it's partly that and partly my parents giving me an allowance. I don't see them that much since they're often abroad for their jobs, but they make sure to give me money each month. I usually have enough left over to splurge a little."

"Heh, I don't know if this would be considered 'a little'," Ryuji looked down at the bags again. "I feel like you coulda paid for our victory buffet on your own."

"No way, those prices were insane! It's one thing to invest in clothes, they last a lot longer than food. Spending that much on food is only for when you really do have the extra money!" Ann argued, but Ryuji laughed it off.

"If you say so. Speakin' of food…" he licked his lips when he saw the waiter walk up to their table, a platter with their meals in hand. "I sure did work up an appetite carrying those bags around."

This wasn't Ryuji's first time at this joint, so he knew to order the hamburg steak. It was the best one he ever had except for the ones his mom made him. A tender, juicy patty seasoned with garlic, onion, horseradish, soy sauce, and worcestershire sauce and thickened with freshly cracked eggs and breadcrumbs. What really put it over the top was the special brown gravy that the cooks kept top secret. Not even the waitresses knew what went into it. For a meat lover like Ryuji, it was perfect.

"Dig in! I know I am!" Ann giggled, greedily snatching her fork off the table. She had ordered the sweetest entree on the menu: the sugar-dusted buttermilk pancakes that had maple syrup drizzled all over them. Even though it was dinner time, there was no resisting how fluffy and airy they were. Besides, she was going to keep being a Phantom Thief. If the next Palaces were anything like Kamoshida's, she'd definitely be putting in enough exercise to maintain her figure. What was there to worry about?

But before she could lose herself in sweets-fueled ecstasy, she was overcome by the feeling that she was being watched She looked up from her meal and began scrutinizing every single face in the room. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. No one was focused on her or their table. Then again, menus were hiding people's faces, and there was no telling what kind of creep could be hiding behind a laminated piece of paper...

"Somethin' wrong?" Ann snapped her head back as she heard Ryuji's voice.

"I-it's… nothing. I thought I felt someone watching me, but… guess I'm imagining things." she gave the diner another once over, but still couldn't find anything suspicious.

"Huh. Weird. I haven't felt like that at all," Ryuji shrugged, stuffing his mouth and waving goodbye to his manners. "I think you're just bein' paranoid now that we're officially Thieves, you know?"

Ann looked back down at the table. "Yeah… I guess you're right."

"See? Just relax," Ryuji encouraged through stuffed cheeks. "By the way, your food's getting cold."

"Oh, crap!" Ann gripped her fork again, finally starting her meal.

Several tables away, a menu set itself down. A pair of gray eyes glued to the twin-tailed blonde.

 _I finally found her… my muse._

 **To be continued…**

 **Thanks again goes to reppuzan for his hard work in helping me become a better author and improving on the story!**

 **Hey guys, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! I know it's been a little bit since the last update, but as I said before I was on a break. Not to mention once that was over I was working on another story's chapter and came up with a fun idea for a side story. But I digress. Summer school has started up for me, so I can't say for sure when the next update will be out. It all depends on how much work I end up doing.**

 **As you saw, we finally got to establish Izuku's new Confidant Link with Mei this chapter. And as I'm sure you're all aware, she has taken Chihaya's place in the story as the Fortune Arcana holder. I'm sorry, but in this case, she provides much more viable support for the group than what Chihaya can. And the Fortune Arcana fits well to Mei with what I have planned.**

 **Be prepared, because she's not the only Arcana holder that will be replaced, I'm afraid. Not a lot of them, but a few. Though that doesn't necessarily mean that because they no longer hold the Arcana that they won't appear in the story. What that means for some of the Persona characters will be revealed eventually. I'm sorry if this rubs some people the wrong way, but that's just how it will have to work.**

 **Alright, I hope you all enjoyed that chapter, please leave a follow, a favorite and a review if you'd be so kind. Thank you all for your support, as the everbuilding popularity of this story is making it my most popular story to date! It truly makes me smile to see s**


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I own neither My Hero Academia or the Persona series**

Chapter 20

Izuku's foot was tapping with trepidation as he waited outside the school gates. While Makoto had expressed her interest in talking again, he couldn't help but feel nervous. It seemed like every time that they met like this, Izuku did something wrong and ended up straining their relationship. Today, Izuku was set on fixing that no matter what. He wasn't sure what he could do to fix it, but he would keep his options open.

 _I'll do whatever it takes._

"Midori."

Izuku stopped, looking up the stairs to see Makoto approaching. She gave a small, hesitant wave as she approached, showing her own nervousness. "Hey."

"H-Hi, Koto-san. Good to see you."

"Same. Sorry if I made you wait. I had to speak with some students before leaving," Makoto fiddled with the shoulder strap of her bag. "So then, shall we? We can walk and talk."

"Okay. Where are we going, though?" Izuku asked, moving to Makoto's side and walking in line with her through the alley.

"How about Big Bang Burger? I'm actually a bit famished," Makoto admitted with a small chuckle.

"Okay. B-But I'll pay this time!" Izuku said, swallowing a nervous lump in his throat.

"Midori, you don't have to-"

"Y-Yes I do. You paid for me last time, so it's only fair," Izuku reminded her, looking at the brunette with a firm stare. "Please leave it to me."

Makoto opened her mouth to protest, but shut her eyes and relented with a small smile. "Well, if you insist. I'll leave it to you, then."

An awkward silence fell between them soon afterwards. They both had things they wanted to say, but neither of them were sure if now was the right time to speak their minds. Izuku decided to take a chance and opened his mouth.

"I'm sorry!"

"I'm sorry."

Izuku blinked, realizing that Makoto had spoken at the same time as him. He looked at Makoto, a sheepish fluster covering her face.

"S-Sorry I didn't mean to-"

"N-No no, feel free to say-"

"I was just-"

"You two need to slow down."

Izuku jumped when he heard Morgana's voice over his shoulder, the cat now poking his head out of his bookbag.

"M-Morgana-san!"

"Sorry, but the awkward atmosphere was killing me," Morgana sighed before looking at Makoto, the third year student staring at him with wide eyes. "You can still hear me, right?"

"Y-Yes, though I can't say I'm quite used to it just yet…," Makoto cleared her throat before looking at Izuku. "I didn't realize you were carrying him in your bag. Morgana, right?"

"Correct. And I go everywhere with Izuku. I have to steer him towards the best courses of action to improve our chances in the Metaverse, after all," Morgana said, puffing his chest out in pride.

"Everywhere?" Makoto raised a brow, looking at Izuku for confirmation. The green-haired teen gave a weak, forced smile as his exhaustion from the previous day took hold.

"Yeah… he insists…."

"Hey, what's that look for? I at least give you time alone when you spend it with other people, don't I?" Morgana looked at Makoto and coughed awkwardly. "Um. Well, usually. I sort of wanted to see what was going to happen with you and Izuku forgot to let me out so…"

Despite herself, Makoto began to laugh, raising a closed hand in front of her mouth to be polite. "I guess you two are pretty close, then. But I would appreciate it if you would give Izuku and I some time to speak alone."

"Oh, alright. I guess what you guys have to talk about is pretty personal, after all," Morgana hopped out of Izuku's bag and started trotting through the alley. "I'll meet you at the station, Izuku. See you later."

"Y-Yeah," Izuku sighed as he and Makoto watched the cat leave. "Sorry about that. Morgana-san means well."

"It's fine. If anything, I can appreciate that he broke the ice between us," Makoto laughed before giving Izuku a smile. "Come on, let's get a burger."

With that, the two headed for Shibuya. They decided to hold their apologies for when they were seated and eating, walking in relative ease now. It wasn't long before they arrived at Big Bang Burger, seated inside with double-stacked hamburgers sitting in front of them.

"So… Principal Kobayakawa asked you to look into the Phantom Thieves?"

"Yes. He suggested that I would be able to get a more personal look into the students better than a teacher could. I don't know if he's trying to keep it as quiet as possible or is trying to avoid more work but either way, he gave me the task," Makoto explained, resentment evident in her tone. "I used to think he was respectable, at least. But the more I talk with him, the more I begin to see he only cares about the school's reputation rather than its students."

"I see… thank you for telling me, Koto-san. I know it's been difficult. And… And I-"

"If you would let me, I'd like to say something first," Makoto said, causing Izuku to nod his head in agreement. "Okay then… to start, I just want to say I'm sorry for how things ended between us in our last conversation. It wasn't easy to accept what you were saying. Especially knowing what it entails."

"I know. I'm… I'm sorry that I'm always making you worry," Izuku's gaze drifted to the table. "I know I haven't made it easy. You've just been trying to look out for me. It seems like every time I do something, I cause trouble for you… I'm sorry."

A somber silence followed, the two allowing the moment to linger as they let their words to sink in.

"You really are that same kid I met on the playground," he perked up at Makoto's words. "Always recklessly throwing yourself into trouble if it meant protecting someone in need. Never considering the consequences of your actions. Even now, four years later, you're still doing it. But I guess… I thought that was your coolest quality."

Izuku couldn't stop the flush in his cheeks, grinning goofily as he tried to think of a way to return the compliment.

"But… we're not kids anymore, Midori. What you do now carry much graver consequences than they did then. You… you know that better than anyone," With that, Izuku's shoulders tensed up, his blush fading as he frowned. "So I'm going to ask this one last time… in spite of everything that's happened, are you really still willing to go through with this 'Thieves' business?"

Izuku's lips pressed into a thin line, brow furrowing as he looked up at Makoto. "I am. As long as the Phantom Thieves can help people by stealing hearts, I'm going to do what I can. Ryuji-senpai, Ann-senpai, Morgana-san and I. We've decided to do everything we can for people who suffered the way we have."

It was Makoto's turn to break eye contact as she considered his words. Izuku swallowed another lump in his throat, knowing that he had done little to reassure her. He knew that by continuing his work as a Phantom Thief, he'd be making Makoto worry even more. But Izuku had to make sure that she knew how serious he was. It would help her understand the gravity of his next words:

"Koto-san… I'd like for you to join us, too."

That breathed life back into Makoto, the student council president's eyes shooting up to look at Izuku in disbelief. "Wh-What?"

"You always wanted to be a Hero too, right? When we were kids, you were right there next to me and Kacchan, shouting out your Hero Name, Biker Que-"

" **Shhh!** " Makoto hushed him as her cheeks turned pink. "P-Please don't remind me. I always feel embarrassed thinking about that stuff…"

"S-Sorry…" Izuku laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head before grinning. "But still, I know you wanted to help people in the name of justice. Not to mention that you have such an amazing Quirk! I'm sure you'd do great inside the Palaces we'll be dealing with!"

Makoto bit her bottom lip, conflicted emotions whirling up inside as she considered Izuku's offer. "A week ago, I… I would have told you to stop speaking nonsense and that you needed to give up on the idea. But after what happened with Principal Kobayakawa, I… I just don't know."

"O-Oh, right. You did say that something happened that made you rethink things. What was it?" Izuku asked, seeing her disgust at the mention of the fat principal.

"As you're aware, he was partial to what Kamoshida was doing to students. If that wasn't enough, I overheard something even worse after I finished speaking to me: I heard him speaking to police officers in his office. I couldn't make it all out because they were whispering but I heard enough. Kobayakawa had been paying those officers off."

Izuku's eyes widened in shock, jaw slacking as he struggled to find the words to react with. He knew that Kobayakawa was negligent of the students, but this went beyond what he feared.

"Apparently someone, or maybe several people even, reported Kamoshida's harassment. But Kobayakawa was only ever concerned with the school's reputation. So much so that he would pay off police to look the other way," Makoto crossed her arms across her chest and dug her fingers into her sleeves. "Kobayakawa is one thing, but for the police themselves to turn away, all for **money?** It… It made me reconsider everything you said…"

"Koto-san…" He wanted her to see eye-to-eye with him, but never wanted it to happen like this.

"But even with after learning all of that, I… I can't join the Phantom Thieves just yet. Not because I disagree with you, but… I have to take several things into consideration," Makoto explained, folding her hands together on her lap. "I want to do everything I can to make sure my sister is happy. Ever since our father passed, she's been carrying the burden of taking care of me. As happy as it makes me to hear that you want me on your team, I… I have to think about it. I'm sorry."

Izuku frowned. He couldn't say he wasn't disappointed by her answer, but he knew he'd do the same if their positions were reversed. "I understand. Expecting you to join immediately is a lot to ask for. Take as much time as you need, Koto-san. I'll wait for your answer," Izuku told her, giving a reassuring smile.

"Thank you, Midori. I mean it when I say that it makes me happy to hear that you want me to join you. Once I have my answer, I'll be sure to tell you immediately," Makoto said, allowing herself to smile.

Even without her acceptance, Izuku felt things returning to normal between them. In fact, he could honestly say that he felt their relationship had deepened with their understanding.

 ***SMASH***

 **Priestess Confidant: RANK TWO**

Izuku's eyes widened as his sight returned normal, surprised but no less happy to see that they had indeed become a bit closer.

Makoto looked down at their food for a moment and blinked. "Goodness, we haven't even touched our burgers! We should probably eat quick before they're too cold!"

"O-Oh, right! I almost forgot too!"

* * *

"Whoa, you asked her to join?!"

It was Sunday now, and the team had gathered together to meet with Mishima and his mystery friend. The plain-looking boy suggested they meet at Inokashira Park, a peaceful place that Ann was the most familiar with. Since the group had gathered together, Izuku saw it as a good chance to explain what happened with Makoto the previous day.

"Yeah… she said she'll think about it. Koto-san has a lot on her plate right now, so she's not sure if she can. But I'm happy that we were able to make up more than anything."

Ann grinned. "Plus, it sounds like she finally gets why we're doing this. Good job, Izuku."

"Still, I'm surprised you asked her to join. Didn't you say before that you were keeping her out to protect her?" Morgana asked.

"That was when we didn't know how the things with Kamoshida were going to turn out, let alone whether or not we would still be the Phantom Thieves. But now that we've decided to go down this road, I think that Koto-san would be the best person we could recruit. She's had our back through all of this, even when things were strained between us. I think she'd be invaluable as a teammate," Izuku explained.

"Well, if you're that sure then I'm for it," said Ryuji. "But damn… the more I hear about that asshole Kobayakawa, the more pissed off I get. Maybe we should steal his heart so he doesn't cause anymore trouble."

"For now, I think it's safe to ignore him. With Kamoshida gone and the situation public, he's got his hands full already," Morgana suggested. "Kobayakawa might have enabled Kamoshida, but he's can't cause any harm on his own. Of course, if you guys want to go after him, we can."

"We can think about it in the future. Targeting him right now would be a bad idea since we want to lay low until exams are over," Izuku said.

Ryuji groaned. "Don't remind me…"

"Hey, I think I see Mishima-kun," Ann pointed out, bringing their attention forward. Mishima was sitting on a bench under the shade several meters ahead, chatting with someone seated next to him. He seemed to catch them out of the corner of his eye, smiling as he turned and waved them over. As the four approached, Mishima stood up with his companion, immediately causing all three to stop.

"H-Hey, guys… good to see you." Shiho said, giving a nervous smile and wave to the three.

"Shiho!" Ann exclaimed, a joyful grin spreading across her lips as she rushed up to her best friend, hugging her close without warning. Shiho only giggled as she returned the embrace.

"N-No way, dude…" Ryuji muttered, slowly beginning to walk up and join them. He soon noticed that Izuku wasn't next to him, looking back to see Izuku frozen in place. "Izuku? You good?"

"Y-Yeah… I'm okay…" Izuku's eyes were already starting to water as the thoughts and emotions he'd buried weeks ago rose to the surface. Did she resent him for his failure to save her? But she had asked to see them, hadn't she? What did she want to say to him?

 _You'll never find out unless you ask her yourself, kid._

Carter's voice brought Izuku out of his thoughts.

 _You're… You're right. Whatever she has to say, I'll take it._

Izuku wiped his eyes with his sleeves and walked forward, waiting for Shiho to finish speaking with Ann.

"What are you doing out like this?! Shouldn't you be at the hospital? When did you get discharged?" Ann asked, blinking away any remaining tears.

"Yesterday. I didn't say anything because I wanted to surprise you," Shiho said, giving Ann a warm smile. "My mom wasn't keen on letting me out the same day I get home, but… it really helps to be able to come out and see you guys."

"You're lookin' good, Suzui! Recovery Girl did some real good work on ya, huh?" Ryuji asked, joining the two and grinning at the brunette.

"Yes. I owe her a lot. What could have taken months or a year to heal was fixed in a couple weeks. Thanks to her, I can give my thanks and…" Her voice trailed off as she looked at Izuku, her smile falling as he received her full attention.

Her gaze alone was enough to shake Izuku's confidence. His eyes wouldn't meet Shiho's no matter how hard he tried. All of his attempts to smile quivered. His hand trembled as he waved at her.

"H-Hi, Suzui-senpai…"

Shiho was silent, her expression unreadable. She slowly strode over to Izuku, whose feet shifted nervously but remained firmly planted in the ground. He already accepted whatever words she might have for him, no matter how terrible they might be.

Shiho stopped a meter away from Izuku, wringing the fabric of her skirt. Izuku dared to look up at her face again, widening his eyes as he saw a wistful smile, mist building up in her eyes again.

"Thank you…" Shiho bowed as deeply as possible. "Thank you for saving me."

Izuku's lip trembled, shame overcoming him as he looked to the side. "I… I didn't though. I couldn't…"

"Back then… I didn't want to be saved. I just wanted to end it," Shiho admitted, slowly rising from her bow and looking straight into his eyes. "Even after I woke up, I didn't know what I would do with myself. But after I saw Kamoshida confess… I felt like I really could keep going on. Like someone reached out and pulled me from the brink. Recovery Girl saved my life, but you… you, Ann, Sakamoto-kun…"

Shiho's lips spread into a sincere, heartfelt smile shining for all to see. "You all saved my soul. You're truly my heroes."

Izuku stared at her in disbelief. All of the floodgates in his heart burst open. A new wave of tears spilled out and sank into the soil at his feet. He let out a loud cry, clutching at his chest as her words filled him with immeasurable happiness. He fell to his knees, continuing to sob as Shiho's words erased the last traces of guilt that clouded his mind.

Ryuji and Ann walked up to his side, rubbing his shoulder gently and helping him up. Neither said a word, understanding his burst of emotion more than anyone. Shiho didn't seem to mind either, watching everything unfold in silence. Mishima moved to stand next to her, wiping a single tear from his own eye.

"S-Sorry… I-I'm really a mess, huh?" Izuku laughed, grinning through his tears and looking at Shiho with mirth. "Thank you for saying that…"

"Hey, I'm the one who should be thanking you. It was wrong for me to put that weight on your shoulders. That's why I'm going to be helping Mishima-kun. Together we'll support the Phantom Thieves any way we can," Shiho said, a new look of determination flashing in her eyes. "So please… keep helping people who suffered like I did… like everyone had."

"We will. I promise," Izuku declared, sniffling one last time and nodding.

"Great. Then from now on, know that we'll be here to back you guys up!" Mishima declared, giving Izuku a thumbs up.

 ***SMASH***

 **I am thou, thou art I**

 **Thou hast acquired a new vow.**

 **It shall become the wings of rebellion**

 **That breaketh thy chains of captivity.**

 **With the birth of the Moon Persona,**

 **I have obtained the winds of Blessing**

 **that shall lead to freedom and new power…**

While Izuku was more than happy to have formed a link with them he was admittedly surprised that the Moon Arcana was present for both Suzui and Mishima. Before the darkness faded, he could see the cards of the Moon Arcana hovering above them both. When making these links, he thought that it would form one for each person he knew. But clearly this wasn't the case.

 _Well… even so, I'm okay with that. I'd be happy to spend time with them both._

"Not to be presumptuous, but we thought we'd make a suggestion for your next target," Shiho said, looking at Mishima and nodding. The plain boy fished out a folded paper from his pocket, holding it out for them to take.

"Our next target?! Really?!" Ryuji asked, quickly taking the paper and opening it up.

"It's not a big one like Kamoshida, I think. But even the small-time offenders should be stopped, you know?" Mishima said. "A lot of the stuff that people are posting on the Phan-site has been really petty and unimportant. But as we went through the posts, Shiho thought this would be a good one for you to start with."

"'Natsuhiko Nakanohara'. Who is he?" Ann asked, reading his name aloud.

"Just some city office worker. Apparently he's been stalking his ex-girlfriend. She's starting to get scared, so she posted his name to the site. She's hoping you can change his heart and make him stop," Shiho said.

"That does sound pretty bad. I'm willing to take the case. Are you guys okay with it?" Izuku asked, looking at Ryuji and Ann in question.

"Well, would be a nice way to kick things off, officially. I'm up for this," Ryuji agreed with a crack of his knuckles.

"Count me in. Getting stalked like that does sound scary," Ann nodded, giving Shiho and Mishima a smile. "Thanks for finding this case for us."

"No problem! If we run into anymore cases that catch our attention, we'll be sure to let you guys know," Mishima said with excitement.

"And as site moderator, I'll make sure to verify the cases we find. Plus, I'll keep Mishima from picking something dumb," Shiho declared, a teasing smile on her lips as she made the plain-looking teen pout.

"H-Hey, what makes you think I would do that?"

"Just a small gut feeling."

"That's harsh… anyway, thanks for seeing us today. I can't wait to see what the Phantom Thieves do next!" Mishima said, turning to leave with Shiho.

"We'll support you, no matter what happens. So try and be careful out there, okay? I don't know how you guys do it, but I'm sure it's dangerous. We're counting on you," Shiho said, giving Ann a quick hug before turning around and following Mishima out.

"Man… that was really cool. I'm glad to see Suzui back on her feet," Ryuji said, grinning as he looked at Ann and Izuku. "Things turned out really well, huh?"

"Yeah. I'm really happy to see Shiho's up and about. It really makes me happy that we chose to keep being the Phantom Thieves," Ann said, smiling back at him.

"Things sure did get emotional. But I'm glad you were finally able to get that last issue off your back," Morgana said, popping his head out of Izuku's bag. "How do you feel?"

"Really good. I… I needed to hear that. It was a huge relief," Izuku said. The last of his tears had already dried when he turned to his friends with a clenched fist. "I'm really excited to start, now! Guys, I know we have finals starting tomorrow, but would you be willing to go after our new target right now?"

"Right now? As in right at this moment?" Ryuji asked, taken aback by the suggestion.

"Well, I guess we do have the rest of the day to do stuff. But should we really go after a new Palace just like that?" Ann asked.

"Considering the nature of the request, I doubt that we'll be dealing with a Palace. Come, let's head to Shibuya Station. Izuku and I have something to show you two," Morgana said, his feline smile stretching in excitement.

* * *

"Holy shit! This place is nuts!"

Heading back to Shibuya together, Morgana and Izuku took the time to explain Mementos to Ann and Ryuji. The two were surprised to say the least, but were thankful to know that such a place existed. With everything laid out for them, the group didn't hesitate to dive right into Mementos. While Morgana and Izuku had described what they could, seeing Mementos for themselves was still overwhelming.

"I got a really creepy vibe from the castle, but… this feels way different," Ann muttered, rubbing her arms as she looked around the station. As they stepped down to the turnstalls that led to the underground passage, their clothes immediately transformed. "Wh-Whoa! We're in our Thief gear?!"

"Dude, no way! They already know we're here?!" Ryuji asked in panic.

"Yes. Unlike the Shadows at Kamoshida's castle, the Shadows in Mementos can sense our presence. We'll have to be on guard, as Mementos is teeming with Shadows."

"Why didn't you say anythin' earlier?!"

"We're safe at this point. I explained this to Izuku before, but I've been here many times investigating. I have a good idea of the layout," Morgana reassured, placing his paws on his hips.

"So Mementos is everyone's Palace…" Ann muttered, thinking over what Morgana said on their way to Shibuya. "So… does that mean even if someone doesn't have a Palace, we can change their hearts through here?"

"Correct, Lady Ann. Though the steps we take to do so are different."

"This is pretty rad, but… does that mean the entire subway system is down there? We just gonna foot it all around this place?" Ryuji asked, not liking the idea himself.

"I suppose the time has finally come. Watch closely and be amazed…" Morgana said, causing the others to raise a brow in question. He hopped to the empty part of the hall, struck a pose and started waving his paw in a ring above his head.

"MORGANA…. TRANSFORM!"

With a quick hop in the air, Morgana suddenly burst in a puff of smoke. The next moment, he was replaced by a small, black bus with a yellow stripe running down the center. Its headlights, which were the same clear blue as Morgana's eyes, blinked at them intently. The other thieves gaped as they processed what just happened.

"... **EH?!** "

"Come now, Panther. Ladies first," Morgana echoed, his voice unchanged by his strange new form.

"M-M-Morgana-san! H-How did you..?!" Izuku stuttered out.

"Why the hell'd you become a car of all things! How the hell?!" Ryuji exclaimed, failing to see the logic behind this.

"This comes from the way cognition materializes in the Metaverse. Plus a bit of extra training," Morgana suggested, sounding far too casual despite his statement. "You could say it's similar to how your clothes transform."

"You changin' into a car is way different than our clothes changin'!" Ryuji snapped in disbelief.

"Well, apparently the idea of a 'cat transforming into a bus' is an extremely common cognition among the general public. I can't imagine why, though," said Morgana, who likely would have shrugged if he weren't a bus right now.

"... My Neighbor Totoro," The three muttered in exasperation.

"Pardon?"

"Nothing, just… still a little shocked," Izuku laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.

"Hey, wait! Why didn't you do this in the Palace for us?!" Ryuji asked.

"Those hallways weren't exactly bus friendly. It would be way too cramped. And I doubt I'd be able to jump on chandeliers in this form!"

"Well, I guess that makes sense…" said Ryuji, conceding to Morgana's logic. Deciding to take a look inside, he walked up to the backseat doors, sliding them open. "Damn, gotta admit. Sure is spacious in here."

"H-Hey! Skull! Ladies first!" Ann said, curiosity taking over as she ran up to the behind him and started to pull him out.

"H-Hey! Careful how you're pullin' me like that!"

"P-Panther! Please, be gentle! It's still my body!"

"You even have a motor and everything… aside from the cat tail in back, you really are a bus down to the engine…" Izuku walked up to the hood and lifted it up to feel the parts inside.

"GAH! Hey, Hero! That feels weird!"

"A-Ah! S-Sorry!"

With their curiosity sated, Izuku joined Ryuji and Ann in the back seat, the three comfortably seating themselves. "Now this is more like it! Let's get movin'!" Ryuji said, relaxing back in his seat as they waited for the bus to move.

…

…

…

"Uh… Mona, why aren't we movin'?"

"What are you guys doing? I need a driver!"

"What?! You can't drive yourself?!" Ryuji blanched in disappointment. "This totally just lost a ton of cool points!"

"So… do either of you know how to drive?" Ann asked, looking at Izuku and Ryuji expectantly.

"N-Not at all…" Izuku admitted, sweat trailing down his cheek. "The only thing I can consider close to it was in an arcade game. I didn't play much of that though…"

"Uh… well, how hard can it be?" Ryuji mumbled, looking at Izuku expectantly. "You should give it a shot. If it doesn't work out, then maybe we'll all take a turn trying."

"W-Wait, I don't know if I like that idea…" Morgana said worriedly. "I-If you guys are going to do that, then be as careful as possible!"

"S-Sorry, Morgana-san. We'll do our best to make sure you don't get damaged," Izuku stepped out of the back seat and moved to the driver's side. Ryuji hopped over the front seat, riding shotgun while Ann moved to the middle, leaning on the back of the front seat. "Do we need keys for this?"

"Not at all. There's a switch underneath by the gas," Morgana said as Izuku settled into the driver seat. The first-year student swallowed slowly reached under the steering wheel and felt the underside of the dashboard for the switch.

"Hehehe~ that tickles! Lower, lower!"

"It's still weird to think we're inside Morgana-san right now…" Izuku mumbled to himself, finding the switch and turning on the engine.

"Ooooh that's gooood~!"

"Oh god, is the engine purring? This gets creepier by the second!" Ryuji shivered, shaking his head. "Okay, Hero. We're trustin' you on this!"

"O-Okay! I'll do my best!"

Izuku stepped on the gas a smidge too hard, causing them to jerk forward before he slammed his foot on the brakes. The three swayed back and forth harshly with the bus.

"S-Sorry…"

"Oh boy…" Morgana moaned.

"... This… might take a while."

* * *

After much trial and error, it was decided that Izuku had made the fewest mistakes while driving. While he was still incredibly tense at the wheel, he was at least getting an idea of how hard he needed to step on the gas and brakes to start and stop without crashing into anything.

"Well… at least we're making progress," Morgana sighed, weary from having so many drivers. Ryuji and Ann had more close calls with the subway walls than he cared to mention.

"I-I never would have imagined I'd learn how to drive this way…" Izuku laughed uneasily, gripping the steering wheel as tightly as possible.

"Try not to think too hard about it. Just keep us steady and we'll be fine," Ann suggested as she patted his shoulder.

"But man, it really does feel like the inside of a Palace, huh? This place gives me the creeps…" Ryuji said, leaning on the window of his door and peering out at the tunnels around them. The place would be pitch black if it weren't for the thin lamps that lined the walls, all of which glowed bloody red.

"No kidding… so where's this Nakanohara guy supposed to be?" Ann asked peeking out the backseat window. "How are we supposed to find him?"

"I can sense a distortion for the most part, but I can't pinpoint exactly where it is. You guys should keep an eye out for any distortions you can find. It will be pretty obvious once you see it," Morgana said, causing Ryuji to groan.

"So we're just gonna have to drive around 'til we find it? That bites."

"At least we're not tackling a full Palace. The distortion will be miniscule by comparison. Any Shadows aside from Nakanohara's we fight will only be what we find on the way to it."

"Wh-What is that?!" Izuku blurted out, slamming his foot on the brake and bringing them to a complete stop. Ann and Ryuji peered through the front window, their jaws dropping as they saw a tall black being stomping across the tracks. Its body lacked any sort of defining features except for the collection of distorted white masks that littered the upper half of its body. Thankfully, it didn't seem to notice them, stomping down its intended path as if they weren't even there.

"That is the host body of the Shadows living here. They're similar to the knights we took down in Kamoshida's castle," Morgana explained. "Don't worry, they might look big and tough, but they're no stronger than what we fought before."

"O-Oh, okay. Maybe we should get out and try to take its mask off, then?" Izuku said, looking back at his companions for approval.

"Why do that? Just drive me right into its back. I'll knock it over, then transform back into my usual body so we can get a surprise attack on the Shadows once they materialize!" Morgana suggested, a bit too much excitement in his voice for comfort.

"Aw dude, that sounds awesome! You should totally do it, Hero!" Ryuji encouraged, giving Izuku a grin.

"Wh-What?! Just drive right into the Shadow?!"

"Well, it would definitely knock it down at that size. It sounds like it's worth a try," Ann agreed, looking at Izuku expectantly. "Don't worry, Hero! We believe in you! Run the Shadow over!"

Izuku pursed his lips, shifting his gaze back forward. The Shadow's back was to them. It would never see them coming if he started now. Izuku took a deep breath before stomping on the gas and clenching his eyes shut. Morgana's tires screeched as they sped forward, ramming straight into the Shadow's back with a loud thunk.

Morgana bounced back after the impact, his body immediately returning to his original form, He and the others landed on their feet with weapons in hand. The black giant tumbled over on the ground, its body becoming a swirl of ooze that spewed out several Shadows. As they took shape, Izuku noted that they were all Slimes.

"Mona, Panther! Hit them with wind and fire!"

"On it!" They answered, Carmen and Zorro materializing above them both.

"Agi!"

"Garu!"

With a swing of her slave and a whiff of his sword, the two quickly unleashed torrents of fire and wind. Izuku made sure to follow up with the same, summoning Jack-O-Lantern and blasting the third his own fire spell.

"Let's finish 'em off!" Ryuji roared. Captain Kidd fired a volley of lightning from its arm cannon and blasted the stunned Slimes. That was enough to seal the deal, the Shadows quickly bursting back into black ooze and disappearing.

Izuku and his teammates took a moment to catch their breath, smiling as they looked at one another.

"Dude, that was totally badass!" Ryuji laughed.

"I can't believe we did all that in one combo! We've really gotten good at this!" Ann said, running over to Ryuji and high-fiving him before going to Izuku for the same.

"I-I didn't think hitting them with the car would be so effective… We were able to recover so quickly after Mona transformed, too!"

"Yes, yes. As you can all tell, I am quite amazing. You're welcome," Morgana chuckled, puffing his chest out in pride. "Come on. We shouldn't linger on the ground too long. We don't want to be the ones to get ambushed."

With their celebration cut short, the three quickly piled in after Morgana transformed once again. Driving around, Izuku made sure to pass by the many different steel doors. Some were accessible to them while others were locked off. Some doors led nowhere, but some yielded decent loot in treasure chests for them to pick up.

Moving onto the second floor, Morgana's metal body suddenly began to rumble. "I can feel it. The Shadow is on this floor."

"About time. Makes me wonder what the distortion you mentioned looks… like…" Ryuji started, trailing off as the three drove out of the second floor entrance. Just a small ways to their left, the subway rails it twisted and morphed into a strange portal that was turned up into the wall. It was a swirling mixture of black and red whirlpool that seemed to suck all the wind and dust around it inside like a black hole.

"Um… I'm guessing that's it?" Ann asked, staring in awe.

"That's correct. It looks like we've finally found our target," Morgana confirmed.

"Okay, then. Considering that this is a Shadow of a person and not just the usual enemy, we should be careful. He will no doubt be stronger than what we just fought. Though considering his distortion is so small, he's not going to be as strong as Kamoshida's Shadow, right Mona?"

"Yep. He'll be a tough customer, no doubt, but his cognition isn't so powerful that he can be anything considered close to Kamoshida. As long as we're careful, we should be fine."

Izuku nodded. "Okay. Is everyone ready?"

"You know I am!" Ryuji said with a grin.

"Let's change this stalker's heart!" added Ann.

"Alright, we're going in," Izuku shifted back into drive, diving straight into the distortion. While the view slightly warped as they entered, nothing appeared to affect them as they drove inside. The walls and tracks were no different than the ones outside, but at the center of the concealed area was a lone man in a black business suit, his head tilted down and taking no notice of them.

Izuku stepped out of the driver seat, walking ahead to meet the Shadow. They couldn't simply hit Nakanohara's Shadow with the car, as that might actually kill him. They had to hear his reasons for themselves and convince him of his wrong doings.

 _Just like we did Kamoshida. His heart isn't nearly as distorted, so it shouldn't be too hard._

"Who are you?!" Nakanohara's Shadow spat as he turned, looking at Izuku and his team in suspicion.

"Are you the asshole stalkin' his ex? We got a bone to pick with you!" Ryuji exclaimed, pulling his pipe out and pointing it at Nakanohara.

"Yeah! Haven't you stopped to consider her feelings?! She is your ex, after all! You shouldn't be treating her like that!" Ann said with an accusatory glare.

"So what if I am?! She's my property! I'll do what I want with her! She treated me like a plaything too, after all! Why should I be the one punished?!"

"Tormenting someone because of what happened in the past doesn't solve anything! You're just hanging onto that hate and won't let go!" Izuku declared.

"Damn straight! We're gonna take down all the shitty adults mistreatin' people like you are!"

"There are plenty worse people out there than me! People like that damned **Madarame**! What about him, huh?! He stole **everything** from me, but you're just gonna ignore him?!" Nakanohara snapped, causing the four to hesitate for a moment. "You know what? Fuck it, we're done talking!"

Nakanohara's body liquified, falling into a pool of black ooze before reforming as a long-armed red imp with hair covering the top half of his face. Horns sat on top of his head and suction cups in its palms and fingertips. "This is a winner-takes-all world! I'll beat you losers down and show you what that means!"

"Get ready, here he comes!" Morgana warned, watching as the Shadow launched itself forward, slamming its palm into the ground as it attempted to strike Izuku.

"Carter, come!" Izuku called out, pulling off his mask and summoning his original Persona. They both extended their right arms and held their middle fingers back with their thumbs, aiming directly at Nakanohara's Shadow. " **Quantico Smash**!"

The imp was sent tumbling backward from the wave of force and compressed air, only for him to stop his flight with a suction-cupped hand gripping the ground.

"Hah! Pathetic, loser!" he mocked.

Izuku bit back a curse as he turned to his teammates. "Be careful! He's resistant to physical damage! Look for his weakness!"

"I'm on it! Come, Zorro!" Morgana proclaimed, the black-masked Persona taking shape and sending a billowing gust of wind with a wave of its sword. The Shadow staggered several steps backward but showed no signs of lasting damage.

"You little runt! I'll show you!" It growled, smacking the ground and hopping in the air at Morgana. A bolt of lightning stopped him in his tracks, Ryuji made the quick move of summoning his Persona. " **GAGH~!** "

"Heh! Looks like lightning works pretty well on this asshole!" Ryuji smiled, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Not bad, Skull. I guess you can be good for something every once in a while," Morgana chuckled, pointing his blade at the now stunned Shadow. "We should seize this e opportunity!"

"Right! Everyone, together! Let's finish him!" Izuku ordered, the others nodding as they gripped their weapons tight and jumped at the Shadow. With a barrage of hits, the four whaled on the defenseless Shadow, Izuku delivering one last hit with his staff and knocking the imp back.

"GAH~!" the imp cried out, rolling against the ground with a thud, head his smacking against the rails. He groaned in pain, his body beginning to fade again as it shifted back to his human form. Nakanohara's Shadow slumped over as he stood, all of his resistance and former confidence gone.

"Oh… okay… I've had enough…"

"Good. Have you learned your lesson?" Izuku asked, lowering his staff as he and his friends surrounded Nakanohara.

"Y-Yes… I was wrong to do that to my ex… forgive me. I just… I needed an outlet. I needed **something** to focus my attention on after my teacher tossed me to the side. Before I knew it, I became obsessed…" The Shadow admitted, his eyes cast to the side in shame.

"That Madarame guy, right? He was your teacher?" Ann asked. "While I get that you had it rough, you really shouldn't have taken it out on your ex. It wasn't her fault that happened to you."

"I… I know. I'm sorry… I'll make sure to apologize to her as well," The Shadow sighed dejectedly. Izuku frowned, realizing that the man was truly sorry for his actions. Sympathizing with him, Izuku knew what to say.

"Now that you've repented, you don't have to worry. We'll go after that teacher of yours," Izuku said, causing the others, including Nakanohara's Shadow, to look at him in surprise. "Madarame, right? I'm sorry to hear that you were mistreated like that. But that's why the Phantom Thieves of Hearts are here. We'll make sure to avenge you and that he never does it again. I promise." He declared, giving the Shadow a confident smile.

Nakanohara's Shadow stared at Izuku in shock, but a small smile crept up on his lips. "Okay… I'll choose to believe in you, Phantom Thieves. Please stop Madarame before someone else is hurt by him… thank you…." the Shadow said before his body began to fade, disappearing as a brilliant light took his place.

"Heh. Smooth talking there, Hero. I think you really touched his heart," Morgana smiled, going up to Izuku's leg and nudging him.

"It wouldn't feel right to leave him hopeless. He did some bad things, but he wasn't a bad person at heart. If we can help him too, then I'll be happy to do it," Izuku said, looking down at Morgana and smiling.

"Hey, what's that?" Ryuji asked, the others looking up to see the light persisting where Nakanohara once stood.

"Ah, that's the bud of a Treasure. If a Shadow like that is left alone long enough, it can become a full-fledged Palace. But silver lining, it does provide a reward for our efforts! Go ahead and claim it, Hero!" Morgana said.

"O-Oh, okay then," Izuku walked up to the Treasure, snatching iit out of the air to see a pearl forming in his hand. He stuffed it into his pocket, looking back at his friends. "I guess we're done here."

"Yep. Too bad we didn't get more on that Madarame guy, though. But if that teacher is as bad as all that, then maybe another one of his students will report it?" Ann suggested hopefully.

"We can look into it again sometime. More information would have been nice, though," he sighed, hoping that he could keep his promise to Nakanohara.

"Well, until then, I say we get outta here. But man, this place effin' rocks! It'll be a great place to use for practice and train our Personas before goin' to a Palace, don't you think?" Ryuji said with a grin.

Ann smiled. "Plus it's nice to be able to help out the little guy. We can't just forget the little problems people face, you know?"

"I agree on both accounts. Heroes do everything they can to support the people, whether it's getting cats out of trees or stopping Villains. So we'll do the same," Izuku agreed, looking at his team. "And you're right, Skull. Mementos really is a great place to train. I think that we should try to use it as much as possible to keep us from getting rusty between targets. Maybe we should set up a schedule for when we go in during the week? We'll have to be careful not to go too frequently because it can be so tiring. Plus, given how risky it is, we really-"

"Dude. Mumbling," Ryuji and Ann said, causing Izuku to flinch in embarrassment.

"Heh. It has been a while since we've seen that. It's a bit refreshing to see it again," Morgana teased, skipping to the front of the group. "With that, our mission is accomplished. But before we head out of Mementos, I do have somewhere I'd like to show you all first."

* * *

"Alright, we're here."

Izuku, Ryuji and Ann slowly trailed behind Morgana, eyes scanning their surroundings in wonder. Going to the second floor as Morgana asked, they came to a subway platform with the tracks running at its sides. But unlike the previous floor, trains flew across these tracks.

"I… I thought trains didn't run through Mementos…" Izuku said, watching as one blew past them.

"They don't on the previous floor. But I suppose this one is an exception," Morgana said, skipping ahead of them without paying much attention to the trains. "Come on, this way. That's not what I wanted to show you guys."

"There's more?! But I'm already confused as is!" Ryuji blurted out.

"I'm sure that's a default quality for you, Skull."

"Hey!"

"What exactly are we here to see, Mona?" Ann asked, wanting to get back on topic.

"It would be this right here," Morgana declared, stopping at the end of the platform and pointing at something straight ahead. The three looked up to see a wall now blocking the rest of the path. It was marked with strange details that glowed with an ominous red light.

"We're here for a wall? What's the point?" Ryuji asked, scratching the top of his head.

"Now hold on. There might be more to this than the normal eye can see," Morgana said, glancing up at the dead end. "Too bad Hero's Third Eye thing was just a cover... "

"Huh? 'Third Eye'?" Ann repeated, raising a brow in question.

"Oh, it's nothing. When Hero and I went to go and make a deal with this crazy inventor girl, he had to make up a Quirk to avoid suspicion," Morgana explained, looking back at Izuku for a moment. "It's a good thing she didn't ask you to show it off. Then again, that kind of power would be pretty hard to test, huh?"

"Huh? Uh, yeah… right," Izuku said, giving a nervous laugh and rubbing the back of his head.

Ryuji went pale at the news. "Oh man, you guys actually ended up goin' to see that crazy chick?!"

"Of course. Her tech is incredibly advanced and could be useful to us when we're exploring Palaces," Morgana said in confirmation.

"I don't know. Her equipment did look badass, but I had the worst feelin' that her tests were gonna be dangerous as hell."

"Oh they are, trust me. Izuku got stuck in a tree and hurt himself pretty badly."

Ryuji winced, "You alright, dude?"

"Y-Yes, just a little… distracted by this area," Izuku lied, unsure what to say.

 _I still haven't told them about the world in my dreams. With everything that's been happening, it kept slipping my mind…_

"Yeah, I feel ya on that. So can we get outta here or what, cat?" Ryuji asked, turning his attention to Morgana.

"Just one moment. While it wouldn't do anything the last time I came down here, I want to see if that's changed…" Morgana trailed off, walking up to the wall and placing a paw on it. The wall suddenly began to rumble along with the rest of the station. The Thieves all stepped back and prepared for the worst. Not a moment later, the wall's center piece lifted up and the corners rolled back in, revealing a passageway going down.

"It opened!" said Ann.

Morgana smiled, "Just as I suspected."

" _A new area has been confirmed in the depths. Updating guidance information."_

"Th-The Metanav updated?" Izuku fished into his coat pocket and looking at his phone. "There's another floor now…"

"Looks like I was right all along. Before this wall would never budge, but I had the suspicion it was actually a door," Morgana said, looking back at his teammates. "It would be strange if a place like Mementos was so shallow as to only have one floor like the one we previously explored."

"So you always knew it would be deeper, huh?" Ryuji said, crossing his arms.

"Yeah! Now that Kamoshida's Palace is gone and people are talking about us, I was hoping that something might have shifted here as well!"

"How deep is it? Should we try to go in?" Ann asked, looking at the others in thought.

"Let's not. We accomplished our mission for today, haven't we? It would be best not to drive around aimlessly," Morgana suggested, earning a nod of agreement from Izuku.

"Mona's right. We don't know what's down there and we might end up wasting unnecessary energy. We'll be coming back to train here in the future anyways, so we can wait until then to explore."

"Precisely. Let's head back for now, and I'll explain more once we're out," Morgana said. With that settled, the four turned back around and got ready to leave.

But Izuku hesitated for a moment, looking down in thought as Morgana's words echoed in his head.

 _It might be hard to explain to them, but… I need to be honest. I can't just hide it. It's not right to. Especially from them._

"Yo, Hero. You alright?" Ryuji called out, bringing Izuku out of his thoughts. "You look a little lost."

"Is something wrong?" Ann asked in concern, tilting her head.

Izuku looked between his three friends and released a deep breath.

"Y-Yeah, there's… something I need to tell you guys. But it… might not be the easiest to explain…"

* * *

"So… that's everything. That I know about that place, at least…"

Ann, Ryuji and Morgana stared at Izuku in bewilderment. Once the group had gotten out of Mementos, they settled down in Shibuya Station's courtyard to hear what Izuku had to say. He explained to them everything about the Velvet Room. Its existence, Igor and the twins, the effect it has on Personas and his friendships and so on. Izuku wasn't sure how they would react, but the faces they were making were about what he expected at least.

"Okay… wow. I wasn't expecting… all that," Ann admitted, fumbling with the end of her hair.

"Yeah, no kiddin'. When you said you had somethin' to tell us, I didn't think it'd be about some new crazy complicated shit!" Ryuji, kicked the ground in exasperation. "Like, it's not the craziest thing to happen to us, but it's pretty up there…"

"Y-Yeah, I can understand how you feel. It took me several visits to the Velvet Room to accept that it was real, too. But the proof of its existence is through my Personas and my Third Eye. There's no denying it now," Izuku said before looking at Morgana. The cat seemed somewhat distracted, looking at the ground in thought. "Morgana-san? Is everything alright?"

"Huh? O-Oh, yeah, just… had a weird feeling after hearing all that, is all…" Morgana admitted, shaking his head before looking back up. "But that's not important. So that power you mentioned… you really can do all those things?" Morgana asked, understandably curious about what Izuku's power was capable of.

"That's right. I can do all of the things I listed off for Hatsume-san. It's also how I solved the puzzles in Kamoshida's Palace and had Personas other than the ones I captured."

"Oh, yeah. I thought it was strange that you had some new ones, but… every time we saw it, it was during a fight so I'd forget to ask after. We were in a pretty big hurry inside of Kamoshida's Castle, too," Ann recalled, feeling a little dumb for not addressing it sooner.

"Man, how much more nuts can all this get?" Ryuji grunted, scratching his head furiously as he tried to process it all.

"Backtracking, what's this about 'ruin'? They haven't explained that to you in any more detail?" Morgana asked, only for Izuku to shake his head.

"They keep being vague about it. All I know is that it's coming and that I can somehow prevent it by acting as a Phantom Thief."

"That's so crazy. Why not at least explain what it is at least?!" Ann snapped. "Can't they give you some idea?"

"I-I don't know… but I guess it works out for us. I was planning to be a Phantom Thief either way," Izuku laughed sheepishly. But it was soon replaced with a frown as his gaze trailed to the floor. "But… about the… 'contracts' that I mentioned…"

"Oh, right. So like… when you make friends or somethin', it makes some sorta… link?" Ryuji asked, trying to sort out what Izuku explained to them.

"Y-Yeah, something like that. And I guess that every time I get closer with the person in that link it… levels up?" Izuku said, unsure how to explain that part or what it entailed. "But I guess that each link has an Arcana which are titled after Tarot cards I think. There are specific Personas that match them and get stronger because of them."

"So then… do you have a link with all of us?" Ann asked curiously.

"Yes. Ryuji-senpai is Chariot, you're the L-Lovers, and Morgana-san is Magician," Izuku explained, looking down in a bit of shame. "I… I was afraid at first when these links started forming though. I mean, it's beneficial, but…"

"But what's up? Isn't that a good thing?" Ryuji asked, raising a brow in question.

"W-Well I… I don't want you guys to think that's the only reason I'm friends with you. I-I mean, it helps, sure, but that's not why I-"

"Whoa, slow down, Izuku. You don't have to worry about that," Ann cut him off, causing Izuku to blink. "You're one of the most sincere people I've ever met. There's no way you'd be faking the funk when it comes to making friends."

"Huh?"

"Yeah man, you kiddin'? You're way too nice for that kinda crap. If you make friends and those links or whatever, we know you're not doin' it just for some power ups. That just makes 'em cooler!" Ryuji reasoned, giving Izuku a reassuring grin and slapping his shoulder.

"I agree. We all know what kind of heart you have, Izuku. Don't ever doubt that," Morgana said, smiling up at Izuku as well.

"Y-You guys…" Izuku's eyes became high-powered fountains as he sobbed into his sleeve. "Th-thank you~!"

"Hey man, that's nothin' to cry about!" Ryuji laughed, shaking his head. "But man. First Mementos, and now this weird ass Velvet Room thing… this ain't makin' any more sense than when we first learned about it."

"Well, at least regarding Mementos, we still have some clues to its secrets," Morgana suggested, sitting up on his hind legs. "Since it's the public's Palace, I suspect that the reason it opened for us now rather than before when I was alone is because the public is somewhat aware of our presence."

"It's a good thing you know so much about it, at least. How come, though?" Ann asked.

"I… can't say for sure. My memory is still foggy on the details," Morgana admitted, looking somewhat down at the thought. "All I know is that… my answers lie in the depths of Mementos, and that I need to get down there no matter what."

"You think all the answers are in there for what happened to you?" Izuku asked, earning a nod from Morgana in answer.

"Mementos isn't just the public's Palace. It's the source of all Palaces. Palaces like Kamoshida's with one ruler simply didn't exist until recently. Something is causing a great distortion in Mementos and enabling this. If we can stop that, then my appearance just might…"

"So you were looking for a Hero too, huh?" Ann asked, giving a sympathetic smile to the cat.

"I-I just needed pawns!"

"You did mention that the first time around, huh? Well, I guess Izuku and I did promise to help with that, right?" Ryuji said in understanding before looking at Izuku.

"That's right. You've helped us so much, Morgana-san. We'll do whatever we can to help you find your memories," Izuku declared, giving Morgana a confident grin.

"I'll help out too. Together we'll help you get back what you lost, okay?" Ann said kindly.

Morgana suddenly became shy, looking away from the group as he flustered up. "Th-Thanks… I'll be relying on you guys."

"Of course! Oh, but while we're on the topic, I do have one question…" Ann began. "Are you a boy or a girl?"

"Wh-What?!" Morgana sputtered. "I-I'm male, of course! I have to be!"

"His voice can be confusin', but I'm pretty sure he's a guy. Morgana tries to act macho way too much," Ryuji chuckled, causing the cat to glare. "Oh, but I do got a question about that Velvet Room thing!"

"What is it?" Izuku asked, blinking in surprise.

"Those twins… are they hot?"

Izuku gaped at his senior while Morgana sighed and Ann immediately elbowed Ryuji in the gut.

"Ow! What?!"

"Really? That's your question?"

"What, I'm curious! Twins can be real ho-OW!"

"Um… Ryuji-senpai…" Izuku mumbled, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "I forgot to mention before, but the Twins… look like they're both ten."

"Oh… well that sucks."

"So much for your little twin fantasy," Morgana chuckled.

"It's probably good that they are though, if you think about it…" Ann said, a small teasing smile on her lips. "Izuku probably wouldn't be able to handle being around them otherwise."

"E-Eh?! But I-"

"Oh yeah, good point. Guy would probably faint every time he saw 'em," Ryuji laughed, joining in on Ann's fun.

"I-I… uh…" Izuku gave it a moment of thought, sweat trailing down his cheeks as his shoulders slumped. "Yeah…"

"Ah, don't sweat it, dude. At least you don't end up like Morgana who was practically droolin' on himself," Ryuji chuckled, wrapping an arm around his shoulders as he looked at the cat.

"Wh-What?! I resent that! I-I don't just drool over myself!" Morgana complained, embarrassed as he recalled his first meeting with Ann.

"Alright, let's chill. It's starting to get late, so we should probably be heading back," Ann noted, the four looking up to see the sun beginning to set.

"Yeah, good point. Now that you all know about Mementos, you can shift your focus to your studies. Then we can look for a big target to pursue."

"Damn it, you had to go and remind me of that…" Ryuji groaned, hunching over in disappointment. "Fine, I guess I'll study…"

"Don't worry too much, Ryuji-senpai. Tomorrow, maybe during lunch or after school, I can help you study for the tests the days after that," Izuku offered before looking at Ann. "You too, Ann-senpai."

"Please do. Tomorrow's my English test so it won't be a big deal, but I'd appreciate the help after that!" Ann smiled.

"If you can help me pass just one of those tests, you'll be doin' me a huge favor. Thanks, man," Ryuji grinned.

"O-Of course! I'll try not to let you guys down!"

With that, the four went home for the night, getting some much needed rest for the long week ahead of them.

 **To be continued…**

 **Thanks as always goes to reppuzan for his fine work editing on this chapter!**

 **Finally finished. Not that this one took that long to write, just a bit longer than I would have liked. But considering it's a bit longer (not much though) than the previous couple, I'd say it worked out quite well.**

 **The final scene was a bit of a tussle because I was on the fence about what to do: either talk about the Velvet Room or work on another Arcana. I've put off the discussion on the Velvet Room long enough though, so I ultimately decided it was time to tell the gang about it. I think it worked out.**

 **Also, sorry no OST's this chapter. I wasn't really thinking of any songs from either series as I was writing. I'll put some more up next time. I know it's a small, insignificant detail, but I do like to think of certain music playing during scenes.**

 **Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, please leave a review, a follow and a favorite if you'd be so kind.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: I own neither My Hero Academia or the Persona series**

Chapter 21

 **(Persona 5 OST: Layer Cake)**

"Are you sure we have enough money for more guns?"

"I'm positive. If Iwai-san hasn't increased the prices I saw in the catalog, we should at least be able to purchase Ryuji-senpai and Ann-senpai new firearms. We should also consider getting Koto-san a weapon in case she agrees to join us, too…." Izuku suggested, holding his chin in thought. He followed the alley to Untouchable, his gaze focused on the ground rather than ahead of him.

"I'm surprised you have the energy for that. You had a lot to put up with when you were helping Ryuji and Lady Ann study," Morgana chuckled, causing a small bead of sweat to form on Izuku's head.

As promised, Izuku met with Ryuji and Ann in the library after school to help them prepare for their upcoming exams. Looking over the material provided by their classes, Izuku thought it would be a simple review session for the both of them. Instead, he ended up teaching both of them all of the material they should have learned in class. While Izuku was happy to help, he would be lying if he said that the two hadn't made things difficult.

"W-Well, I think they learned a good amount. So long as they go over what I gave them tonight, tomorrow will just be review," Izuku said optimistically, silently praying that his friends would heed his advice and study when they got home.

"Lady Ann might try, but I don't know if dumb Ryuji will be committed enough."

"I… hope you're wrong," Izuku sighed. He knew Ryuji well enough by now to half-expect him to shirk his studies.

Izuku pushed the shop's door open, looking to the front display for the shop owner. He stopped to blink when he realized that Iwai wasn't lounging in his usual spot behind the glass case.

"Hello?" He called out, looking around the shop and noticing that it was empty.

"Uh oh. We should probably leave, Izuku," Morgana alerted him, the cat looking back at the door. "I'm pretty sure he's closed right now."

Izuku peered back, seeing that the open sign was facing in rather than out. "A-Ah, you're right. He might not be in right now. Strange since he's always open around this time," Izuku said, sparing one last glance at the display before beginning to turn back.

It was then that he noticed something on the counter covered by a loose cloth. Izuku stopped, raising a brow as he saw something stick out of the edge of the cloth. Judging from the small bit he could see, it looked like a model gun.

"Oh, was Iwai-san cleaning this?" Izuku muttered to himself, moving curiously to the display. If it was a model handgun, Izuku supposed that it wouldn't be bad to take a quick look at it since he was there to browse the inventory. Moving the cloth aside though, Izuku and Morgana inhaled a breath.

Resting on the counter was what looked like a real Colt 1911 semi-automatic handgun. It had a silvery gunmetal body and a surprising amount of heft when Izuku picked it up for closer inspection. The leather-decorated grip was also contoured and textured just like the pictures of real guns he saw online.

"Th-This is…" Izuku gasped, but a small etching on the side of the gun caught his eye. In small letters, he could see the common English inscription "made in China" engraved on the barrel. Izuku quickly pushed the magazine release button on the side to confirm his suspicions. He was relieved to find that the clip was only large enough to hold BBs.

"I-It's fake after all… what a relief."

"Don't you know how to read, kid?"

Izuku jumped when he heard Iwai's voice, panicking and setting the gun back down on the display case. Looking up at the back area entrance, he watched Iwai enter sporting a glare that bore into Izuku and made him sweat.

"S-S-Sorry! I-I wasn't paying attention when I walked inside a-and I just got curious wh-when I saw the gun! I-I thought it was real for a second, but-"

"Tch. I thought I locked the damn thing," Iwai growled, scratching under his cap in frustration. "Forget you saw this thing, got it?"

"H-Huh? But… it's just an airsoft gun, right?" Izuku said, looking back down at the model gun only for Iwai to quickly cover it back up. "It's not illegal to have one, even if it looks real."

"True, but that doesn't mean I want somebody spreadin' word that I got inventory like this. Some dumb kids might try and use 'em to rob people. Not to mention cops would try to use 'em against me like I'm aidin' the local villains and gangs."

Izuku might have denied the possibility of such happening if he hadn't experienced that kind of corruption for himself. "I… I understand. I won't tell anyone."

"Good," Iwai huffed. "Now, if you wanna buy somethin', go ahead. I was about to reopen once I'd gotten everything put away."

"Okay. Can I see the catalog?"

"Sure."

Izuku took the folder from Iwai, pouring over the pages as he looked for something suitable. Though looking at the quality of the pictured guns, it was hard to take his mind off the model gun he had seen.

 _The more realistic the gun, the stronger its cognition is and the more powerful it gets. If we got more weapons like that, we'd be at a huge advantage. I… I doubt I can afford it, but I have to try._

"Um… Iwai-san-"

"Trust me, Mumbles, you can't afford it."

Izuku's shoulders slumped at his didn't expect to be rejected so quickly. Still, for the sake of his team and their safety, he persisted.

"M-Maybe, but… I'd like to see more like it. What you had was top quality. It took me a moment to realize it was just a model, too," Izuku suggested, causing the shop owner to shift his gaze back to him. "I know this might be asking a lot, but… could I see more like it? E-Even if I can't afford it now, maybe in the future I could."

Iwai's eyes narrowed in suspicion, causing Izuku to twitch under his gaze. He then spared a glance at his door, making sure no one else was outside or close by.

"Alright, kid. Spill it. Who are you?"

"H-Huh?" Izuku blinked, confused by the question.

"Are you really just some gun enthusiast? You're pretty damn young for it. You seem to have a good head on your shoulders. You even helped Kaoru out. Sure, you're pretty awkward and stuttery, but most kids your age are into Heroes rather than guns."

Izuku couldn't help but flinch at the accuracy of that statement.

"B-But I am! That's why I can't get that model gun out of my head! P-Please, let me see more like it, Iwai-san!" he exclaimed, bowing his head low in a desperate bid to win him over.

Silence was his only answer at first. Sweat trailed down Izuku's cheek as he quietly prayed that he wouldn't be shut down. His prayers were answered when he heard an amused chuckle from Iwai.

"Man, you are one weird kid. But…" Iwai stopped, eyes narrowing in thought as he looked down and rubbed the stubble on his chin. "Wait a sec… this might actually work for both of us."

"Huh?"

"Heh. Yeah. This might be perfect, actually," Iwai looked back up at Izuku with a smirk and a devious glint in his eye. It was disconcerting to see the normally aloof shop owner with that kind of expression. "Alright, kid. I believe you. If you're that set on seein' more like that, I'd be willin' show you. But affordability is still a problem, don't you think? What'd be the point in window shopping?"

"I-I suppose…" Izuku mumbled, unsure where Iwai was going with this.

"The prices are up in the hundreds of thousands of yen. Some even get in the million range, dependin' on how I feel," Izuku's eyes bulged out of their sockets. He knew they'd be more than he could afford, but that was far higher than what he ever would have guessed. "But I'm a reasonable man. I've been known to compromise from time to time. And if you were, say, an 'employee' of mine, I might just be willing to make quite a few exceptions."

Izuku's quirked an eyebrow as he followed Iwai's line of thought. "You… want me to work for you?"

"Not in the conventional sense, but yeah. I might not need help maintainin' the store, but there's plenty else you can do. Cleanin' the shelves when I don't feel like it, sortin' through inventory in the back…" Iwai began to list off before looking directly in Izuku's eyes.

"... helpin' me with personal errands, and coverin' up evidence on my custom models."

Those last two jobs were certainly suspicious.

"And in exchange for your work, I'll let you in on my special menu. And I'll give you a bargain deal on what I've got that you wouldn't be able to find anywhere else," Iwai finished, crossing his arms over his chest. "Not a bad deal, eh? Whaddaya say?"

Izuku wasn't sure if he would call it a good deal. He had considered Iwai a bit shady as Ryuji had said before, but this sudden interest in hiring Izuku as his "employee" was beyond suspicious.

 _S-Still… Iwai-san doesn't seem like a bad person… I think…. And we will really need those kind of weapons when we infiltrate the next Palace. But…_

"... Just tell me one thing."

"Hm? What?"

"I… I know you said this before, but… I need to hear it again. You don't sell your special inventory to criminals, right?" Izuku asked, meeting Iwai's gaze as he dared to show courage. "To people that would use them to hurt others? They might be fake, but they can obviously be used for intimidation. I… I wouldn't be able to work for you if you sold guns to people like that. But if you can tell me honestly that you don't… I'll take your deal."

Both of their gazes hardened as they scrutinized each other for any sign of weakness or hesitation. Izuku could feel his palms getting clammy and hear his heart pounding in his ears in this deafening silence. Even Morgana seemed to be holding his breath. But Izuku stood his ground. This was important. He couldn't work for Iwai with a clear conscience if he didn't.

The irony behind the demand wasn't lost on Izuku. Even if he and the Phantom Thieves wanted to do good, they'd always be Villains in the eyes of the law.

Finally, Iwai smirked. "You're a lot braver than I thought, Mumbles. Dealin' with punks below your grade was one thing, but I didn't think you'd have the balls to make a demand like that. But you don't gotta worry. I can honestly say that I don't sell my special inventory to some dumb street punks or high-class criminals. I vet everyone that I sell that stuff to. It's usually just high-rolling collectors or competitive airsoft players. The only reason I need you to hide evidence is like what I said before: police'll just find reasons to bust me even if I didn't do shit."

Izuku could see the honesty in Iwai's expression. The man was careful and shady, but honest. Besides, he of all people could understand the shopkeeper's concerns.

He released a deep sigh of relief before nodding. "Okay. I'll work for you."

"Heh. Then it looks like we'll be doing business together. Welcome aboard, Mumbles," Iwai chuckled, nodding in acceptance. Izuku was still on the fence about the conditions of this partnership, but for now, they were acceptable.

 **(Persona 5 OST: The Spirit)**

 ***SMASH***

 **I am thou, thou art I**

 **Thou hast acquired a new vow.**

 **It shall become the wings of rebellion**

 **That breaketh thy chains of captivity.**

 **With the birth of the Hanged Man Persona,**

 **I have obtained the winds of Blessing**

 **that shall lead to freedom and new power…**

Izuku felt a faint sense of deja vu as the card materialized before his eyes. This was a lot like his deal with Takemi. Both were up to some rather dubious activities and were giving him deals on their inventory in exchange for helping them out. He wasn't sure how to feel about being used to these kinds of shady dealings, but they worked out for him all the same.

"This should be obvious, but just so we're clear: keep quiet about whatever we do here. Don't go runnin' off and tellin' people about this deal or your job. Got it? I don't want anyone else in on my personal business," Izuku nodded again. "Good. Then as a token of our partnership, feel free to take this gun."

"Wh-What? Really?"

"Yeah. The guy I was makin' it for took too long to come and pick it up, anyway. I'm tired of waitin' and I don't need to hold onto somethin' like this forever. Feel free to take it," Iwai uncovered the model gun and handed it to Izuku. The green-haired teen swallowed a lump in his throat before taking it, studying every nook and cranny to see all the fine details. "You do as I ask and work hard, you'll see more where that came from and then some."

Izuku felt himself beam as Iwai slid a case large enough to hold the gun towards him. "Th-Thank you, Iwai-san. This is a really good model…"

"Heh, nice to know you're grateful. I'm sure you're in school, so I won't go demandin' you show up every day. I'll shoot you a message whenever I feel like I need the help."

With that, Izuku and Iwai exchanged emails before heading out for the night. Izuku waited until he was out of the alleyway to lean against a nearby wall and breathe yet another sigh of relief, the tension of his encounter finally draining out of him.

"Man. I can't help but wonder if you're extremely lucky or unlucky," Morgana said, popping out of the bag once again.

"I… think it's a combination of the two."

* * *

 _Become a Phantom Thief, huh?_

It had been a few days since Izuku made her the offer. When she couldn't decide after thinking on it all day, she thought a night's sleep would help her relax and make the right choice. Instead, she remained conflicted and indecisive. There were a number of reasons that doing so wouldn't be in her best interest. She had gone over them all one-by-one in an attempt to convince herself that rejecting the offer was the right choice.

But in her heart, Makoto couldn't help but tremble with anticipation. She desperately wanted to be one of them. To be able to act on her own justice. To be the hero that she always wanted to be. To stop the corruption that spat on the legacy her father left behind.

To be of actual use to somebody.

 **(Persona 5 OST: Days of Sisters)**

"Are you alright, Makoto? You've been spacing out again."

Makoto was startled by her sister's voice, jumping before looking at Sae. There wasn't concern on her sister's face, just a moderate bit of confusion.

"Y-Yes, sorry. Just going over some of the material for my classes… in my head. Exams coming up soon, after all," Makoto replied, coughing into her fist.

"Ah, I see. Good," Sae nodded. "I'm glad that the incident at your school hasn't distracted you from what's important. Keep at it."

"R-Right…." Makoto was almost disappointed that her sister didn't push the subject harder. Sae was also so wrapped up in her work that it was nearly impossible to have a simple conversation. But the mere mention of the school incident made Makoto's thoughts drift back to the officers who spoke with Kobayakawa. Just the thought of it made a pit form in her stomach.

"Hey… Sis?" Sae looked up from her plate again. "Have you… spoken to any of dad's old police friends in a while?"

Sae tensed at the question, an irritated expression coloring her features. "Every now and then. Usually only in cases involving them that I'm presented with. Why?"

"W-Well, with the school incident happening and all, I was just curious if any of them were part of the investigation…" Makoto had to approach this carefully. If Sae sniffed even the slightest bit of suspicion, she would end the discussion in a heartbeat as a useless distraction.

"No. As far as I know, things are being left to the local precinct. None of them worked in that area."

"I see. That's good. I was a little worried," Makoto breathed out, causing Sae to raise a brow.

"Why would you be worried about that?"

"Oh, it-it's nothing. I just… heard a rumor that… some of the cops in that area might have been aware of Kamoshida's victims and-"

"How absurd. Do you really think something that egregious would be going on?" Sae snapped, narrowing her eyes at her sister.

"I-I'm just saying it's a rumor I heard! I-I mean I was suspicious because I would have thought at least one of the student's suffering might-"

"It's just another student trying to drum up needless amounts of drama. There's no need to turn this case into some grand conspiracy of corruption."

"B-But Sis, what if-"

"I think you need to leave the investigations to the adults. Focus on your studies. This entire debacle has nothing to do with you. Wasting time on wild fantasies like this won't get you into college!" Sae was now glowering at Makoto. It'd been ages since Makoto had seen her that heated about anything.

Makoto wilted under her sister's gaze, lowering her head and giving a slow nod. "Y-Yes, Sis. Sorry…"

"Good. No more talk about that, then. The sooner that case is handled, the better," Sae huffed, looking back down at her plate and forking the last bit of food on her plate into her mouth. With an unceremonious drop of her fork, Sae stood from the table, still heated from the exchange. "I'm taking a shower first. I have to go back to the office a little later."

"Okay…" Makoto mumbled, poking at the remaining bit of rice on her plate. It was pointless to fight back against her sister's onslaught of words. Even if Makoto explained what she heard, would Sae even listen? Sae only seemed to care about her job and getting a promotion.

 _But still… is that just how everyone else views this case? A distraction?_

Aside from the blatantly obvious things that were being pointed out in Kamoshida's case, was there really anyone digging deeper into this? Kobayakawa would normally be considered an accessory to whatever crimes Kamoshida committed. Parents would be humiliated for their failure to protect their children by allowing it to continue.

But interviews with students and staff had already finished. And the only thing that could be called an "internal investigation" on the matter was assigned to **her** by Kobayakawa. And all he was looking for were the Phantom Thieves.

 _Midori... He and his friends really did end up being the only ones to care enough to fight back despite being ignored. And they're going to keep fighting for people who've fallen under the wayside._

 _So… maybe I should, too._

* * *

"D-Damn it… my legs are too damn tight… I ain't movin' like before…" Ryuji coughed, leaning on his knees as sweat trickled down his face.

"W-Wow… that's kind of hard to believe," Izuku huffed out, placing his hands behind his head. "You were running faster than the last time we worked out. I couldn't keep up this time."

Izuku and Ryuji rested in the shade of the faux blond's secret training spot. Izuku had moved their study session to lunch so that he could quickly drill his friends on the material they went over the previous day. Much to his chagrin, both teens only managed to sink in an hour of study in before letting themselves get distracted.

So, hoping to try and convince them to try harder, Izuku offered to do something with them in exchange for promising to study that night. Testing started tomorrow, after all.

Ann made it simple: buy her sweets from the cafeteria. She called them her "brain food". Ryuji, on the other hand, wanted to work out together again like before. Izuku had no problem with either task. In fact, he looked forward to hanging out with Ryuji one-on-one again.

"I've been doin' a bit of running on my own, but damn… I guess not enough yet," Ryuji said, pushing off his to stand up straight. "I used to be able to go for way longer than this and faster. I didn't use my Quirk or nothin', either. That woulda felt like cheatin'."

Izuku grinned. "That's pretty amazing. No wonder you were on the national level."

"Yeah, but I guess I let myself go for way too long. Might be awhile before I'm back in top shape. Especially with the way my knee acts up," Ryuji sighed in disappointment, rolling his shoulders.

"The hell do you need to get back into shape for?"

 **(Persona 5 OST: Suspicion)**

Izuku snapped to attention and turned to see four students approach them. All of them were wearing Shujin tracksuits. Sparing a glance at Ryuji, he could see the faux blond shrink a little in their presence.

"Nakaoka… Takeishi…" Ryuji mumbled, taking a step back as they approached.

"Been a while, Sakamoto. Running again? We saw you from the second floor." The darker skinned boy, Nakoaka, asked. His tone was less than friendly as far as Izuku was concerned.

"Are you planning to try and crawl your way back to the track team?" Takeishi added with a bitter, resentful laugh.

Ryuji winced. "N-No! Hell no! I wouldn't try…"

 _So they're from the track team, too?_ Izuku looked at the boys, a worried frown crossing his lips.

"Yeah, sure," Nakaoka huffed before his eyes trailed to Izuku. "What're you doing hanging out with this first year? Then again, I guess no one who knew you before would still be hanging out with you, huh?"

"Careful, first year. This guy's known for flying off the handle. He'll punch you real quick if you make him mad." Takeishi spat.

Ryuji clenched his teeth. "Hey, come on, that's-"

"You're wrong," Izuku snapped, causing Ryuji to pause. "Ryuji-senpai has been looking out for me since I came to this school. He… he wouldn't do that to someone who didn't have it coming."

"Izuku…" Ryuji mumbled in surprise.

"Wait a sec, he's the transfer student…" Nakaoka pointed out, a small sneer on his lips. "No wonder you're hanging out with Sakamoto. I heard you were pretty violent yourself. Though you don't really look like it."

"Hey, that's enough," Ryuji growled, taking a step in front of Izuku. "You guys can talk all the shit you want to me. I deserve it. But don't go talkin' shit about my pal here. He ain't done nothin' to deserve that."

Takeishi and Nakaoka took a step back, surprised by his retaliation. The two quickly got over it, clicking their tongues.

"So what, you gonna hit us now? It must run in the family if you're that quick to get violent. Wasn't your dad the same way? Like father, like son, right?" Nakaoka laughed.

Ryuji trembled as he stamped on the ground with his good leg, his right hand already balled into a fist. "That's got nothin' to do with this!"

Izuku quickly moved between them, putting a hand on Ryuji's shoulder. "D-Don't let it get to you, Ryuji-senpai. Calm down."

Ryuji looked down at the green-haired teen and felt his head begin to cool, his shoulders relaxing and his curled fist loosening up.

"...You're right."

Izuku smiled up at Ryuji in relief before turning a stern glare back to Nakaoka. "That was crossing the line. Whatever happened in the past, that had nothing to do with it."

"You don't know anything about it! We were all suffering under Kamoshida like he was! He was the one who couldn't hold his shit together and fucked everything up!" Nakaoka snapped, glaring up at Ryuji again. "We could have been national champions if it wasn't for him!"

"Look, man… back then, I-"

"I don't wanna hear your excuses. We were in it together, but you let everyone down. Now we're stuck trying to pick up the pieces," Nakaoka huffed, taking a step forward. "I honestly thought you were our teammate. But you let us all down."

Ryuji didn't answer, each word Nakaoka spoke digging the pit of guilt in his gut deeper. Izuku wanted to speak on his behalf again, but wasn't sure what he could say. This all happened before they were friends. And it was personal for everyone involved. He wasn't sure he had a right to say anything here.

When Ryuji didn't answer the accusation, Nakaoka huffed and turned his back. "That's all I have to say to you. I'm out of here," he said, moving to walk off with his crew. "Oh, and by the way. We've been using this spot to work out. Because, you know, we can't do it in the field anymore."

"Thanks to a certain someone we know," Takeishi added with a glare.

"So stay clear of here. You don't really need it, anyway," Nakaoka spat before finally leaving with Takeishi close behind him.

Ryuji and Izuku watched them walk off, the faux blond releasing a tense breath once they were out of view. "Sorry you had to see that."

Izuku's gaze fell to the ground. "N-No, it's fine. I just… wished I could have done more for you."

"Nah, you did enough. If it wasn't for you, I woulda put Nakaoka on his ass for what he said about my dad," Ryuji admitted, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "I really haven't changed since then, huh?"

"Ryuji-senpai…"

"Still, I gotta hand it to ya. You really helped me keep my cool. I'm glad I had you there with me to face those guys," Ryuji gave his friend a dumb grin. "Thanks for havin' my back."

Even if his contribution was weak, Ryuji's words brought some relief to Izuku. "We promised to have each other's backs, so I'll keep doing what I can!"

"Same here!" The faux blond laughed, raising a hand for a high five. Izuku quickly returned it, but was mildly surprised by how much force Ryuji put behind it, causing him to swing his arm back and blow on his now stinging hand.

But Izuku laughed along despite the painful high five. If he could help Ryuji just by being there so he wasn't facing his troubles alone, then he would be more than happy to do it.

 ***SMASH***

Izuku winced when he heard the chains snap in his ear.

 **Chariot Link: Rank 3**

Despite the abrupt timing of the Link's appearance, Izuku smiled.

 _These kind of things shouldn't be made so obvious, but… It's nice to know we've become closer._

"Man, you shoulda said more!"

Ryuji and Izuku paused, looking back to see Nakaoka and Takeishi arguing further down the hall.

"Huh?! You got a problem now?!"

"I guess they're not as tight-knit as I thought. Now they're at each other's throats," Ryuji sighed, both amused and saddened by the scene. "Well, not my problem. I don't think I'd be able to help much, so I'll stay out of it."

"Y-Yeah, that might be best," Izuku chuckled sheepishly.

* * *

Three days of exams passed by slowly. With the amount of work and studying they had to do for each exam, Izuku and the others didn't try to waste time after school, instead using the time to study together. Izuku invited Makoto to join them as well. Considering her workload, she was only able to join them one of the days. Even then, they spent little time doing that, as the exams left them all mentally drained. Ann and Ryuji more so than their junior.

Izuku felt confident in the answers he filled in for each exam. They were more exhausting in length rather than difficulty for Izuku.

Ryuji on the other hand…

"Man~... I'm so tired… My brain hurts… I'm so glad today's the last day…"

"Only one more exam and then we have off tomorrow. Though I'll probably take the day to recharge and sleep," Izuku chuckled, smiling at the faux blond. "Did you get anymore studying in?"

"Ryuji? Still studying? I doubt that," Morgana teased, causing the faux blond to wince.

"Shaddap! I did a little bit… I was gonna stay up and play games instead, but I felt I woulda been wasting your help if I did that," Ryuji sighed, wearily rubbing his head before grinning. "Thanks for all the help, by the way. I don't know if I did good or not, but I made sure I got through each exam to the end."

"Same here. Thanks," Ann said, yawning as she approached the three. "I felt a little more confident during exams thanks to your notes. A lot of the work felt way less tedious to go over."

"O-Of course! I'm happy to help!" Izuku said, blushing in embarrassment at the praise as he rubbed his neck.

"Sadly, I don't think any amount of simplification would make it easier for Ryuji to remember," Morgana said, taking another pot shot at the faux blond.

"Hey, eff off! My brain is bigger than yours right now, you know?! You don't got room to talk!"

"Guys, stop it. It's a bit early to argue," Izuku said, once again playing peacemaker.

"Yeah, can it would you? I don't want to forget everything that I…" Ann trailed off, a small shiver going up her spine. She snapped her head around, searching the crowd warily.

Ryuji raised a brow. "Somethin' wrong? You look spooked.".

"N-No, just… I don't know. Nothing, I guess…" Ann muttered unconvincingly, causing her three companions to look at each other in confusion.

"If something's bothering you, you can tell us," Izuku suggested, his lip curling down in worry.

"Well… I'll tell you on the train, okay?" Ann said in a whisper, causing Ryuji and Izuku to blink but nod in agreement.

They didn't wait long for their line to pull into the station, the three piling on with the rest of the crowd. Izuku and Ryuji made sure to stay close to Ann, though Izuku struggled to keep his composure even though he was behind her. The fact that they had little room with so many people on the train didn't help.

"I think there's a guy stalking me," Ann whispered suddenly, causing Izuku to forget his current nervousness.

"What?! Who would dare stalk Lady Ann?! Though I suppose I can't totally blame them…" Morgana whispered, poking his nose out of Izuku's bag.

"Wh-Who is it? Have you seen them?" Izuku asked, taking the situation very seriously.

"Are you sure you're not just imaginin' things?" Ryuji asked with little interest, causing Ann to glare back at him.

"I don't know! But I could swear I've seen him around before. It feels way too weird to just be coincidence!"

"O-Okay. Do you see him now?" Izuku asked, trying to approach this with tact.

"He got on in one of the doors further down. You can't see him right now, but I know he's on."

"Okay. We'll see how far he follows you. If he follows us off the train, we'll decide what to do from there."

The train soon stopped at Shibuya station, letting the three off and head for the escalator. Ann kept an eye out for her supposed stalker, widening her eyes when she caught sight of him a ways back from them.

"He got off on our line too! Th-This is bad, right?" Ann asked, looking at Izuku for guidance.

"M-Maybe. It may just be coincidence, but we should find out for sure…" Izuku trailed off, tilting his head and holding his chin in thought. "We could-"

"Ahhh~..."

Izuku and Ann looked at the yawning Ryuji in clear disappointment. Despite their worries, he still seemed disinterested as before.

"At least act like you care!" Ann snapped, placing her hands on her hips.

"Ugh… fine…" Ryuji scratched the back of his head tiredly before suddenly walking ahead of Ann and Izuku. "Come on."

The two blinked in surprise but quickly followed after him.

* * *

Izuku waited around the corner of the tunnel exit, Ryuji on the opposite end with Ann standing alone as bait a few meters ahead of them. It was a simple plan by Ryuji: fish the supposed stalker out by leaving Ann in the open. Nothing complicated, yet as effective as it needed to be.

"I don't like leaving Lady Ann alone like this," Morgana whispered in Izuku's ear.

"We're right here, Morgana-san. Nothing's going to happen to her," Izuku reassured, keeping his eyes forward as he waited for anyone to approach the platinum blonde.

After another moment, a lone boy stepped off the escalator. They couldn't make out his full detail from their position, but his gaze was definitely set on Ann. He slowly began to step forward, a hand reaching out from his side toward the platinum blonde. Izuku spared a glance at Ryuji and the two nodded, quickly jogging up in front of him and cutting the teen off. Ann quickly whipped around, now taking a look at her supposed stalker with the other two.

Izuku couldn't help but raise a brow. When most people picture stalkers, they're usually older men or sweaty creeps who look like they hadn't left their house in weeks. Izuku knew this wasn't always the case of course, but looking at their perp, it was hard to picture him as a stalker.

He was a pale-skinned young man around Ann and Ryuji's age with slender, handsome features. He had short, dark blue hair that stopped at his neck. He wore a white uniform button-up shirt, though Izuku didn't recognize the emblem on his breast pocket. He wore black slacks and loafers, with a large ring of keys hanging from his belt.

Despite the situation, the pale skinned teen looked at Izuku and Ryuji in confusion, lowering his arm with a curious look on his face. Ryuji and Izuku took a moment to look him up and down, looking for any of the tell-tale signs stalker: aside glances, traces of drool, sweaty, anxious palms, conspicuous gloves, pictures, or cameras… but they found nothing.

Ryuji looked back at Ann. "Are you sure you're not just bein' insecure?"

"Wh-What?! I'm not that-"

"I'm sorry, but is something the matter?" The boy asked this time, causing the three to snap their eyes back forward. Irritated, Ann slipped past Ryuji and Izuku, pointing a finger in his face.

"That's my line! You're the one who's been stalking me!" Ann accused.

"Stalking you? Why, that's preposterous." The teen dismissed, pushing a strand of hair out of his face. His voice was silky smooth, without an inkling of guilt or apprehension.

"Then why are you following me?! I know I saw you trailing behind us ever since the first station!" Ann declared, gritting her teeth in irritation. Izuku and Ryuji moved to her sides, watching him in case he tried anything funny.

"Well, that's because…" He trailed off, his attention pulled away by the honking of a car's horn. The four turning to the street to see a black sedan pulling up next to them. The back passenger window rolled down to reveal an elderly gentleman. His hair was long in the back and tied in a unkept ponytail. He had an aged, wrinkled face with a thin, gray mustache on his lips and a puff of beard on his chin. He wore an olive-colored haori over a teal kimono.

"My, I was wondering why you left the car. So this is where your passion led, hm?" The elderly man said with a gentle smile.

"Ah, sensei," the strange boy called out to the elderly man with familiarity.

"At least you were able to catch her. Alls well that ends well, I suppose," The gentlemen laughed gently.

"S-Sensei?" Ann repeated in confusion.

"Ah, forgive me. You see, I saw you passing by from our car. I couldn't help myself and gave chase. I didn't even notice Sensei calling out to me. Thank goodness I was able to catch up to you," The strange teen explained, though it didn't help to explain why.

"Okay…" Ann mumbled, rubbing the back of her head.

"B-But why? Why are you so interested in Ann-senpai for?" Izuku asked, raising a brow in question.

"She is the woman I've been searching for all this time! She is the only one who can fill this void! I once saw her in a restaurant and felt my passion burn, but missed the chance to speak with her. But to have found her again so soon must be fate pushing us together!" He exclaimed passionately, taking a step closer to Ann. "Please, won't you…"

"W-Wait a minute! Thi-This is really-"

"-Be the model for my next painting?!"

That silenced the three, taking a moment to process his request.

"Huh?"

 **(Persona 5 OST: My Homie)**

"M-Model?" Ann repeated.

"All that I've drawn up to this point has felt empty. I lack the proper inspiration to feel fulfilled as I work. But upon seeing you, I felt my passion return with a furious blaze!"

"T-This man is highly suspicious!" Morgana huffed, kicking around in Izuku's shoulder bag.

"Yeah… this seems like some sorta shady business recruiting…" Ryuji mumbled in suspicion.

"So will you aid me? Please, what do you say?" Yusuke asked again, ignoring Ryuji's presence.

"Hold your horses, man! Who're you, anyway?!" Ryuji snapped, stepping in front of Ann to put distance between them.

"Oh, where are my manners. I'm a second-year at Kosei High's fine arts division. My name is Yusuke Kitagawa," He explained, taking a step forward and nudging Ryuji out of the way. Ann took a step back despite this, still overwhelmed by his offer. "I am a pupil of Madarame-sensei's who is being allowed residence at his studio. I'm striving to become an artist."

Ann gasped. "W-Wait, do you mean THAT Madarame? The one who was on 'Good Morning Japan' the other day?"

"The very same," Yusuke confirmed.

"You know who that is?" Ryuji asked.

"He was introduced as a super-famous Japanese-style artist recognized around the world!" Ann explained, though Izuku felt a small sense of deja vu.

 _Madarame was the name of the man who destroyed our Mementos target's future… but that seems way too convenient to be the same person, right?_

"Yusuke!" The elderly man in the car called out.

"I'll be right there!" Yusuke answered, suddenly looking a bit rushed.

"So that's Madarame?" Ryuji questioned, though Yusuke's focus was back on Ann.

"Madarame-sensei's exhibition will begin at the department store near the station starting tomorrow. I'll be there to help out on opening day. I'd like for you to come by. It'd be great if you could give me your answer in regards to being my model then…"

He spared a glance at Ryuji and Izuku, a more obligatorily courteous expression crossing his features. "I doubt either of you are interested in the fine arts, but I'll provide you with tickets as well. If only to help motivate her to accept my proposal."

 _That was really blunt…_ Izuku thought to himself, feeling a bead of sweat roll down his cheek.

"I do hope you'll come by. Please seriously consider my offer. Good day," Yusuke said, turning back to the car before sparing Ann a smile. She didn't answer immediately, the three watching as he climbed into the car and drove off with Madarame.

"Well that was strange…" Ryuji huffed, unsure what to make of the encounter. "You're not actually goin' tomorrow, are you?"

"Actually, I think I will…" Ann answered with a thoughtful hum.

"Huh?" Izuku and Ryuji blurted, shocked by her sudden interest.

"Oh crap, we've gotta go! We're gonna be late!" Ann exclaimed, looking at her watch before quickly running off.

"Ah-shit! She's right! We gotta hoof it!" Ryuji declared, seeing the time displayed on his phone before running after her.

"O-Okay!" Izuku quickly followed after.

"Are you guys seriously ignoring what just happened?! How **dare** this Yusuke Kitagawa pursue Lady Ann!" Morgana complained, poking his head out of the bag despite the fact that Izuku started running. "I'll remember his face!"

* * *

 **(My Hero Academia OST: Unwind)**

"It's finally over~!" Ann stretched out, a relieved smile on her face.

"Finally over…" Ryuji grumbled, far less enthusiastic by comparison.

"I'm glad you both made it through. How do you think you did on the last exams?" Izuku asked, in good spirits considering what little trouble he had with his own.

"Not too bad. Thanks again for your help," Ann smiled, giving him a thumbs up.

"Great. I guess that means I'll be the only one who failed, huh?" Ryuji sighed, rubbing his neck tiredly. "Sorry if your help ends up goin' to waste, Izuku…"

"I'm sure Izuku wasn't expecting much. Don't worry," Morgana answered before the green haired teen could, immediately poking fun at the faux blond.

"Sh-Shaddap! What's done is done! Either way, our scores will be out next week. So instead of worryin' about what's done, why don't we focus on our next target?" Ryuji suggested, pulling out his phone.

"Oh! Anything new on the site?" Ann asked.

"No, not really… I've been browsin' it all week while studyin', but nothin' really big. People are startin' to post less, too," Ryuji admitted in disappointment.

"Well… we knew we wouldn't get a big target that easily," Izuku said, but kept an optimistic smile. "But we shouldn't let that stop us. Heroes do small jobs like cleaning up parks and helping out with smaller jobs all the time! We might not be able to become big yet, but we can work slowly with smaller Shadow cases in Mementos."

"That's the spirit! I won't see us become a one-hit wonder either. Even if we have to do a bunch of odd jobs before our big catch, we should!" Morgana encouraged.

"Yeah, you guys are right. No need to get worked up about it now," Ann agreed, giving a smile in agreement. "Hey, why don't we go get some lunch? We've got money left over from the medal, right?"

"Yeah, we still have plenty. I think lunch would be a good way to celebrate exams ending," Izuku nodded.

"Oh, then let's get some sushi! Or-wait! Some domestic-raised eel!"

"We don't have that much, Ryuji-senpai…" Izuku laughed sheepishly. He had to keep their inventory and medicine in mind for future Mementos and Palace visits, after all.

"Yeah, no kidding. It'll probably be a while before we eat like we did at that buffet again," Ann grumbled, the memory causing her to long for it. "Oh, plus we've got those tickets to Madarame's exhibit! Oh wait, that's tomorrow though."

"So you're really goin' to that, huh?" Ryuji asked, mildly surprised.

"Of course! We got free tickets, and this Madarame guy is supposed to have really amazing art!" Ann said, grinning with anticipation.

"W-Wait, don't tell me… you're really going there for that Yusuke guy! W-Was it love at first sight?!" Morgana gasped, fearing the worst had come to pass.

"No, it's nothing like that!" Ann dismissed, rolling her eyes.

"O-Of course! Wh-What a foolish thought, right?" Morgana laughed uneasily, feeling embarrassed.

"Smooth, dude," said Ryuji.

"Aside from the art, I wanna scope out this Madarame guy. We did hear his name in Mementos, after all," Ann pointed out, causing Izuku and Ryuji to raise a brow.

"You really think it's the same guy, though?" Ryuji asked curiously.

"It does seem hard to believe. If so, that would be awfully convenient," Izuku suggested, only for Ann to shrug.

"Who knows. It could just be a coincidence, but we might as well check it out. It's not like we have any other targets to look at, right?" Izuku and Ryuji looked at each other and shrugged. She wasn't wrong, after all.

"So~, you guys want to come along? He did give me two extra tickets," Ann asked, looking at the two expectantly.

"A fine arts exhibit, huh?" Ryuji drawled out, the idea sounding more boring than anything to him.

"I don't really know much about art, but I wouldn't mind going. And if it really does turn into a case, we should all work together on it," Izuku smiled, nodding in agreement.

"We should definitely have all hands on deck. I have a feeling that Lady Ann's intuition may be on the mark for us," Morgana chimed in. "Besides, appreciating the fine arts builds character. As Phantom Thieves, we should also be able to tell real art from fakes. Right?"

"Well, I guess if everyone's goin'..." Ryuji conceded in the end.

"Then it's settled! We'll meet at the exhibit tomorrow!" Ann declared, excitedly swaying her arms back and forth at her side. "Going to an 'art exhibit' really makes us sound mature though, huh?"

"Well, at least you're happy about it," Izuku laughed. "But before that, let's go get some lunch."

"Sounds good to me!" Ryuji agreed, the four moving to step back out of Shibuya station. After reaching the top entrance though, they could hear a commotion down the street, the cheers and woots of mainly men filling echoing in the distance.

"What's going on?" Ann asked, tilting her head in question.

"Well, it's on the way to the main street. Might as well find out," Ryuji shrugged, walking toward the crowd out of curiosity. Izuku and Ann followed, seeing no reason not to.

As they approached, the uproar of cheers grew louder. Accompanying it though, they could hear pop music playing over the crowd. It was similar to what most idols would play when performing live or online.

"Was there supposed to be a live event in Shibuya today?" Ann asked, raising a brow as they stopped just close enough to the crowd to not be caught up in the mass of fans.

"Not that I heard. Seems strange that there'd be one right on the sidewalk, too," Ryuji pointed out, scratching his head in wonder.

"We love you, Pop Step~!"

"You're so gorgeous!"

"Pop Step? That sounds familiar…" Izuku trailed off in thought, looking around to see if he could peek past the crowd. He soon noticed that their heads were tilted skyward, shifting his gaze up and widening his eyes. "L-Look! Up there!"

Ann and Ryuji looked up, widening their eyes as they saw a girl falling through the air.

"H-Holy shit she's falling!"

"Wh-What the heck is everyone just-"

As the girl fell past the crowd, they immediately saw her bounce back through the air. The three gawked at the display.

" _Come on everybody, let's hear those voices~!"_

"POP STEP~!" the crowd cheered as the Thieves jumped in surprise.

"W-Wait, what just happened?! She's completely fine?!" Ryuji cried out, a brow raised in confusion.

"I-It must be her Quirk that protects her. I guess it's not flight, but something that allows her to bound safely despite the height…" Izuku explained, watching the girl closer this time.

"Wow, that's pretty awesome. It certainly seems like a cool Quirk for an idol to use as a gimmick for their show," Ann praised, watching as Pop Step descended again before immediately bouncing back through the air.

"Interesting. So this is what an 'idol' is in Japan, huh?" Morgana said, popping his head out to observe for himself.

"A-Ah! Now I remember! I saw an article on her a while back!" Izuku said as the realization hit him. "She's actually performing illegally and using her Quirk without approval! She performs in a lot of random spots to avoid getting caught by the police."

"An illegal idol, huh? That's a surprise," Ann hmm'd, smiling up at Pop Step in admiration. "The idol scene is pretty tough, so I'm sure she's had trouble breaking into it on her own. Still, I have to give it to her. She hasn't let that stop her from being what she wants to be."

With their interest piqued and their fears washed away, the group stood closer to watch Pop Step's performance.

"You know, using her flashy Quirk as a draw is pretty smart, but… She's actually not that great of a singer," Ann declared with a bit of disappointment.

"Heh, no kiddin'. But check out her outfit and you'll see the actual draw," Ryuji said, a cheeky grin on his lips. Izuku took a closer look at Pop Step as she sailed through the air, getting a better look at her appearance.

She had long, poofy pink hair that was tied up in twin tails. She had a black painted mask over her eyes, likely to help conceal her actual identity. What stuck out though was her outfit, which made Izuku blush a bit. It was a revealing one-piece black leotard, her thighs and hips exposed under a black super miniskirt with knee-high black boots, elbow-length fingerless gloves and a heart-shaped breast window.

"Makes sense, don't it? Most of the crowd **are** guys, after all."

"Geez, don't get stuck being one of her fans, too," Ann grumbled, elbowing him in the side when she saw the smirk on his face..

"She's pretty good at drawing a crowd, at least. You have to give her that."

The three turned to see a young man approaching them. He looked a bit older than they were, in the face at least. He was around Ryuji's height, with tired eyes and short dark brown hair. He wore a yellow zip-up hoodie with the word "BLAST" plastered across the chest in big, bold letters along with a simple pair of black slacks and white tennis shoes.

He looked at the group before rubbing his head sheepishly. "O-Oh, sorry if I'm bothering you while you watch the show. I'm the… so-called bouncer and lookout for this concert. You guys seemed pretty chill so I thought I'd take a break by you."

"Don't worry about it. We just stopped by to take a look. This crowd does seem pretty rowdy," Ann said, glancing back at the crowd mostly populated by men. "How many bouncers do you guys have?"

"W-Well… technically two, but the other guy doesn't show up to these things that often. It's not like she pays us, after all…" He admitted, looking more run down as he talked about it. "Having to look out for rowdy fans **and** the cops can be pretty tiresome."

"S-Seems like you have your work cut out for you…" Izuku said in sympathy. It was hard not to feel bad for the lone bouncer given the size of the crowd.

"The favors you do for friends, right?" he laughed with little energy.

"Hey, watch where you're steppin'! I'm tryin' to get a good view of Pop Step!"

"How 'bout you don't trip over nothin', asshole!"

The bouncer looked ahead, grumbling as he saw two enthusiastic fans start fighting.

"Welp, back to work. At least I got a little break…"

"Good luck," Ann said, waving goodbye as he trotted toward the argument. "She should really find that guy help."

"Yeah, no kiddin'. He looks like he's barely standing," Ryuji huffed, raising a brow as he watched the bouncer get between the two fans.

"Huh?! You sayin' somethin' now, dead eyes?!"

"Pl-Please stop fighting. You're gonna ruin the event for others!"

"Hah~?! Just back off and get outta the way!"

Despite his title, the bouncer was having a lot of trouble handling the two fans, recoiling as their anger was directed toward him. Izuku soon realized that the bouncer wasn't the best at his job. But as he looked on, his attention was torn away by another interesting sight: several police cars fast approaching from the intersection. Their sirens were off, probably to catch Pop Step off guard.

"U-Um-Bouncer-san! Th-There are some police cars coming!" Izuku called out, causing Ryuji and Ann to look down the street in panic. Despite his calls, the bouncer was still preoccupied with the two fans shouting in his face.

"C-Crap, they're almost here!" Ryuji blurted, looking at Ann and Izuku. "Should we hightail it outta here?"

"Calm down, they're probably only after Pop Step. But we have to warn her before they get here!" Ann declared, looking up at the still bouncing "idol". "I don't want to see her get in trouble!"

"O-Okay! We'll get see if we can get her to look at us and the street! Start waving!" Izuku told them, the three spreading their arms and waving them as sporadically as possible. At first, Pop Step continued to fall and bounce without taking notice. But as she ascended once again, her eyes trailed to them for a brief moment. Seeing their chance, the gang immediately began to motion to the street, hoping that she would understand what they were trying to say.

Pop Step tilted her head in question before following their direction. She descended toward the ground again before bouncing back up. Looking at the three directly, Pop Step gave them a wink of appreciation.

" _Sorry, my wonderful fans! It looks like we'll be cutting this short for today! Thank you all for coming and showing your support! Please try to watch out for my next show~!"_

With that announcement, Pop Step bounded against the wall of a building close by, using it to bounce over the top and escape without another word.

"Hell yeah, we did it!" Ryuji cheered, turning to Ann and Izuku and giving them a high five.

"Good job, team! We helped save Pop Step's career!" Ann declared, pumping a fist in the air.

"W-We should probably get going too in case the police start questioning the crowd," said Izuku. He glanced back to see the bouncer looking around in confusion as the crowd began dispersing before beginning to take off as well. He then dropped on all fours, but his hands and feet didn't touch the ground, instead hovering a few inches off of it. He suddenly took off, evading the police by swerving through the fleeing crowd.

"Huh. That's a weird Quirk. But hey, at least it helps him get out," Ryuji laughed before pulling Izuku along. "This way, we'll cut through the alley!"

"A-Ah, right!" Izuku agreed, following close behind Ryuji and Ann.

 _That was a weird turn of events. Oh, well. It was interesting to see an event like that live, even if illegal. I doubt I'll see them again, though._

 **To be continued…**

 **Thanks as always goes to my beta reppuzan for his quick work and help on the chapter!**

 **Hey there, everyone! Long time no see, sorry for the delay! I was finishing out summer school classes and working on some other projects that needed my attention before this chapter. Thank you all for your patience!**

 **A few things were accomplished this chapter. Iwai's confidant was finally started, Makoto's mind is finally starting to lean, and we finally introduced art boy Yusuke! Oh, and don't forget about the introduction of the Illegals! In case you're wondering, yes, they are going to be showing up again!**

 **Something I want to clear up beforehand though, I am aware that the timeline for their story is somewhere before the start of the main series timeline of MHA. well, since this isn't the exact same universe, I decided to shift their timeline to match up with this story! I won't say as to why, but those who have read the Vigilante's manga will understand why. Which, if you haven't, you should as it's a fairly fun and enjoyable spin-off from the series! Definitely worth your time :)**

 **Alright, that about does it for this chapter! I hope you all enjoyed, please remember to leave a follow, a favorite and a comment if you'd be so kind!**


	22. Chapter 22

**I own neither My Hero Academia or the Persona series**

Chapter 22

"This place is so crowded…" Morgana mumbled, perched on Izuku's shoulder as he looked around the art gallery.

"Madarame really is popular… I don't know anything about art, but he must be good to draw in this many people," Izuku said, his eyes trailing across the crowd scattered throughout the exhibit.

"Hey, get back in the bag! It'll be a pain in the ass if someone sees you!" Ryuji pointed out. The cat wordlessly obeyed and hid in his usual spot. Just in time too, as the three were suddenly approached by Yusuke Kitagawa. Instead of his school uniform, he wore a gray, pinstripe blazer over a pink knitted shirt.

"You came!" Yusuke exclaimed, an appreciative smile on his face as he stepped up to Ann.

"U-Uh, yeah. Hey."

His reaction to the boys accompanying her was delayed, looking over her shoulder before a resigned frown crossed his lips. "You **actually** came…"

 _He's so disappointed…_ Izuku felt more out of place at the art exhibit than ever.

"Hey man, you're the one who gave us the tickets," Ryuji shrugged with a smirk.

"Try not to get in the way of the other visitors," Yusuke huffed before turning to Ann with an excited grin. "Come, now. Let me show you around. We can discuss the details of the picture I would like to draw too."

Ann was hesitant, but didn't decline his offer. "Well, see you guys later, I guess…." she gave them a small awkward glance before following Yusuke into the gallery.

"Oh no! Is Lady Ann really going to be okay?! What if he pulls her behind some painting and tries some funny business?!" Morgana exclaimed as he popped out of Izuku's bag.

"I said get back in there!" Ryuji hissed, causing the cat to grumble but obey. "Besides, he's an artist. I'm pretty sure Ann could take him. Heck, she'd probably take a chomp out of him."

"Besides, it's really busy here. He wouldn't bring her here if he was going to try… something like that," Izuku said, trying to reassure the cat before looking at Ryuji. "But since we're here now, let's look around."

"Are we really gonna 'appreciate' the fine arts?" Ryuji groaned in disdain, slumping his shoulders forward at the idea. "Can't we just go home?"

"It's worth looking around, at least. If there's a chance that this Madarame is actually the one we heard about in Mementos, we should take a closer look."

Ryuji sighed. "Yeah, I guess. Not like we have anyone else to look at. We can do a once over."

With that, Izuku and Ryuji headed deeper inside, avoiding the massive line crowded against the wall with observers.

"Hm? Hey look," Ryuji pointed out, bringing them to a halt. At the center of the exhibit was a small rest area, where Madarame was currently being interviewed by a reporter and her camera crew. "It's the old man himself."

"Let's listen. Maybe we'll hear more about him," Izuku suggested. The faux blond nodded in agreement. The two inched closer to hear the interview, but stayed just far enough as to not draw their attention.

"-We continue to truly be surprised by your imagination! You have such expansive styles, it's hard to believe that it all stems from one person… Where in the world do you get all of your inspiration?"

"Well, it's difficult to put into words…" Madarame began, giving a sage smile as he spoke. "Much of my inspiration comes from within, welling up inside and rising up like bubbles from a spring within my heart."

"Naturally, you say?"

"Yes. What is important though is to distance oneself from worldly desires such as money and fame. My atelier is a modest shack, but it is more than enough to pursue true beauty."

"A shack?" Ryuji repeated.

"Does that mean something to you?" Izuku asked, raising a brow.

"Well-"

"Oh, is that Madarame?!"

Izuku and Ryuji jumped as the attendees started to swarm the lounge area. Before they knew it, they were surrounded by Madarame's entourage with little room to breathe. Calls of praise and adoration for the famous artist echoed from the crowd, paying little mind to either teen as they were crushed between overstuffed bags and flailing arms.

"I-I can't breathe!" Morgana exclaimed from inside Izuku's bag.

"H-Hold on, Morgana-san! W-We have to get out of here!" Izuku grit his teeth as he tried to snake through the audience.

"D-Don't die on us, all right?! Tough it out 'til we get through!" Ryuji said, pushing Izuku's back to help keep their momentum as they moved.

* * *

"I didn't know there were so many different styles of Japanese art!" Ann said as she gazed at the part of the gallery before her. "And it all comes from one person?"

"Most artists stick to one style of their own. Sensei, however, creates all of this by himself," Yusuke explained with a gleam of pride. "He's special."

"Ah, Yusuke! There you are."

Ann and Yusuke turned to see Madarame approach them with a gentle smile.

"Sensei!"

"Ah, so you've been entertaining a guest. You're the girl from yesterday, correct?" Madarame asked, turning to Ann. "Have you been enjoying the exhibit?"

"Yes. I don't know how to put it into words, but… all of this art is amazing," Ann said honestly.

"You're sensing something from the artwork. That alone is enough praise for an artist's satisfaction," He turned to Yusuke with a sincere expression. "I believe that the piece you create with her will be beautiful, Yusuke. Well, if you'll excuse me, I have other guests to entertain."

"Thank you for talking with us!" Ann said. With that, Madarame walked off to speak with more of his fans. "You know, I expected an artist this talented to be stuffy and hard to approach. He's actually really friendly."

"Indeed." Yusuke nodded, the two turning back to the art. A particular piece caught Ann's eye, walking up to the wall it was mounted against. Unbeknownst to her, Yusuke flinched at the sight of it.

"Oh, this is it! This is the painting I wanted to see up close!" Ann explained, eyes glued to the details. It was a simple, yet beautifully crafted painting of a sunset, shades of blue representing the consuming darkness as the light began to fade.

"This one..?" Yusuke hesitantly said, slowly moving to stand by Ann and observe the painting.

"Yeah. I don't know what it is, but something always… resonated with me about it. I don't know," Ann explained, holding her chin as she tried to nail down her thoughts. "It was like I could feel the painter's anger? I'm not sure, but I can almost sense this… strong frustration coming from it. To think that such a gentle and kind person could make such a piece…"

Yusuke remained silent, his face forming into a glare of displeasure as she spoke.

"Is something wrong?" Ann asked, noticing his discomfort.

"No… don't mind me." Yusuke dismissed, the tone of his voice more strained as he put on a forced smile. "There are better pieces than… this one. Come now, this way."

"H-Hey!" Ann called out, only for Yusuke to already begin walking away. "What's his deal?"

* * *

"Man, I thought we were gonna die in there…" Ryuji groaned from his seat on the ground, nursing a sore spot on his stomach. "I swear, that old lady effin' elbowed me."

"At least you weren't in a bag. I could barely breathe until you guys got out of that crowd…," Morgana whined, slouching over Izuku's shoulder and savoring every gulp of air he could get.

Izuku sighed and rubbed his arm. "I hope Ann-senpai is alright. I didn't want to leave, but there were just so many people…."

"She'll be fine. I mean at least we're waitin' for her here, right?" Ryuji suggested, the three having relocated to Shibuya station. "But forget about that for a sec. Remember when Madarame mentioned living in a shack?"

"Oh, yeah. It sounded like you had heard that before," Izuku nodded.

"It could be a coincidence, but… I dunno. Look at this," Ryuji said, holding up his phone for Izuku to see.

"Hey!" The three jumped, looking up to see an irritated Ann stomping toward them. "Why did you guys leave without me?!"

"S-Sorry, Ann-senpai! W-We didn't have much choice!" Izuku answered frantically, his arms swaying sporadically around him.

"Yeah! We didn't mean to! We just…" Ryuji struggled to find an excuse so he instead hoped to distract her, holding his phone up for her to see. "Forget that, look at this! This post on the Phan-site might be related to Madarame."

Ann stopped, her attention suddenly taken by the news. "What's it say?"

"'A master of the Japanese arts is plagiarizing his pupil's work. Only his public face is shown on TV'" Ryuji began, repeating the words from the post for his friends to hear.

"Plagiarizing?!"

"I didn't think much of it at first, but when I heard Madarame say somethin' about a 'shack', it reminded me of this post," Ryuji explained, looking back down at the thread. "'His treatment of the pupils living with him is awful. He teaches nothing and bosses them around. He treats them inhumanely, as if disciplining a dog. He forced us to live in a run-down shack while he runs off in the night without ever giving us an answer'."

"Abuse on top of plagiarism, huh?" Morgana said with interest.

"If this is all true, it could be a huge scandal," Ryuji said with a bit more excitement than he should have.

"I wonder if Kitagawa-kun is the one who posted this. He is a pupil of his, after all," Ann mumbled in worry, beginning to worry for the eccentric artist.

"Could be, but who knows. It was posted anonymously," Ryuji shrugged.

"Still, this is suspicious. First Madarame is mentioned in Mementos and then this post comes up…" Izuku said, tilting his head down in thought. "It really is feeling less and less like coincidence… But I think we still need more evidence before we jump the gun."

"I feel the same. He really didn't seem like the kind of guy who would be so cruel," Ann agreed, looking conflicted on the matter.

"I don't know. Some people are just really good at hidin' their shitty side. But I see your point," Ryuji sighed, scratching the back of his head. "By the way, what'd you do about that modeling thing?"

"Kitagawa-kun gave me his contact info. He also gave me the address to his sensei's atelier."

"He said he lives there, right? That works out for us," Ryuji grinned and jumped to his feet. "Let's go tomorrow! We're off to Madarame's house right after school!"

"Wh-What?! You want me to model **tomorrow?!** " Ann gasped, bristling at the idea. "I-It's too sudden!"

"What? Nah, I was just suggesting we go talk to Kitagawa."

"O-Oh, that's what you meant. That's alright, I guess." Ann breathed out in relief.

"I hate to do this, Ann-senpai, but… maybe you should," Izuku spoke up, becoming shy at the topic as he rubbed the back of his head. "B-But I only say that because we might need a good excuse to go! I-If we don't have one, we'll look really suspicious showing up out of nowhere…"

"It's true. Plus, if we go snooping around about Madarame like this, he's bound to find out," Morgana agreed. "Sorry, Lady Ann… but maybe we can get away with avoiding it after we ask our questions?"

"W-Wait, what?! So I actually have to say I'll do it, then?!" Ann exclaimed, looking nervous again after hearing that.

"Oh, come on. It's not like you haven't modeled before," Ryuji shrugged. "What's the big deal?"

"Modeling for a photoshoot and modeling for a painting are two very different things!" Ann snapped, stomping a foot in the ground indignantly before looking at Izuku with big puppy dog eyes. "Do I really have to?"

Izuku felt his resolve crumble, his face reddening as he backed away and wrapped an arm around his head to hide from her gaze. "W-Well, i-if it's that much trouble for you, I guess we can just… show up…"

"Aw, come on dude. You gave up way too easily," Ryuji huffed in disappointment.

"Hush! You're not the one that has to pose!" Ann said, glaring at Ryuji from the side before giving Izuku a thankful smile. "At least **someone** is being considerate of how I feel. Thank you, Izuku."

"Y-Yeah, of course…"

"I can't say I blame him. It is hard to overcome Lady Ann's charm," Morgana said, a dreamy tone to his voice.

"Gimme a break… whatever, then. Let's get goin'. It's gettin' late."

With that, the three headed for their train. As they walked back, a sudden thought came to Izuku, wrestling for the phone in his pocket.

"What are you doing?" Morgana asked, peeking over his shoulder.

"Well… Koto-san might not have accepted yet, but I feel like we should keep her in the loop. Just in case she changes her mind," Izuku explained, tapping away at the touch screen.

 _Izuku: Hey, Koto-san. I know you haven't said yes or no yet, but I thought I'd let you know we may have a big target soon._

As he started to catch up with Ryuji and Ann, he soon heard his phone's text chime.

 _Koto-san: I see. What's your plan?_

 _Izuku: Tomorrow we're going to visit his house and talk to his pupil. It's a little complicated, but we are trying to make sure that we have the right guy._

"What's she sayin'?" Ryuji asked, he and Ann waiting for Izuku by the line.

"She only asked what our plan was. I don't think that she will-"

 ***ring ring***

Izuku raised his phone back up, his eyes lighting up with surprise.

 _Koto-san: Do you mind if I tag along? I want to see how the Phantom Thieves work._

* * *

"Man this is so lame. How come phantom thieves like us are takin' the train to our target? I do this to get to and from school," Ryuji grumbled in annoyance as he stood at the center of the car, holding a handrail to balance himself.

After school had ended the next day, the group immediately departed for Madarame's atelier. They had to take the usual train to get there, something that Ryuji was obviously upset about.

"I think it would be wise to keep from mentioning _that_ phrase aloud, Sakamoto-kun."

Unlike before, their group was now joined by Makoto Niijima, who sat next to Ann and Izuku in front of Ryuji.

"R-Right, sorry."

"Thanks again for joining us, Koto-san. We're happy to have you," Izuku said, smiling at the third-year in appreciation.

"Yeah, no kidding. These guys are cool and all, but it's nice to have another girl around," Ann giggled.

"Well, let's not be too hasty. I'm just here to observe and understand the steps you all take when choosing a target for your… operation," Makoto explained, though was nonetheless flattered by their words.

"Well, I suppose we can consider you a thief-in-training," Morgana snarked a bit, poking his head out of Izuku's bag to speak to her. "Just try to keep up, okay newbie?"

"You really do carry him everywhere, huh?" Makoto chuckled, a small bead of sweat forming on her cheek.

"Hey, pipe down! We didn't pay the pet fare!" Ryuji hissed at the cat.

"Hey, who are you calling a pet! I'm the guide here, so you should be calling me 'mas-'"

"Hey, a kitty!"

The five went rigid as a young boy toddled over to them. "Is that a real kitty?"

"Uh, no! It's actually just a toy! It even meows when you press on its head. Right?" Ann quickly said, looking to the others for support.

"O-Oh, yes! This is definitely not a real cat," Makoto said, forcing a smile as she turned to look at Izuku. She wasn't any better at lying then he was.

"You heard 'em, dude. Why don't you give the kid a little demo?" Ryuji said, grinning in amusement as he looked down at Izuku and Morgana.

"Wh-Why you…" Morgana grumbled. Knowing that he was likely beginning to meow in the child's ears, Izuku quickly pressed down on the top of his head, though a little harder than he intended. "O-Ow-I mean-meow~?"

"S-See? Just a cute toy," Izuku said, laughing awkwardly as the boy stared in amazement.

"Oh, come on, dude. You gotta really sell it," Ryuji declared, leaning forward and placing his hand on top of Morgana's head. "In times like these, you gotta button mash."

"Huh?"

Without warning, Ryuji pressed down on the top of Morgana's head with unwarranted speed, causing the cat to release a jumbled and pained set of "meows". When he was done, the cat's head fell limp on the edge of the bag, eyes rolled into the back of his head.

"R-Ryuji-senpai!" Izuku exclaimed, jaw agape ashe stared down at the cat in shock.

"Wo~wee! Again, again!" The child laughed, clapping in excitement.

"A-Ah, sorry kid. But our line is coming up," Ann pointed out, thankful for their timely arrival.

"Aw, okay. Thank you!" The kid said before running off to his mother further down the seats.

"Is… he okay?" Makoto asked, tilting her head to the side as she inspected the nauseous cat in worry.

"I… threw up in my mouth…" Morgana blanched, letting out a dizzy groan.

"Ah, he'll be fine once we get him out in the open air," Ryuji chuckled carelessly.

"I'll make you… pay for this, someday…"

* * *

"Man, this is so lame… not only did we take the train halfway, now we gotta walk there?!" Ryuji groaned, the five now hiking on the sidewalks leading to the residential area near Shibuya.

"Stop complaining," Morgana huffed in annoyance.

"It's not like we had a choice. Shibuya is the closest station," Ann shrugged. "The area they live in is pretty pricey, though. Even though it's a shack, they're in a really good neighborhood."

"This might be what we need, though. We should go over what we're going to ask before we get there," Izuku suggested helpfully.

"You guys haven't thought that through yet?" Makoto asked, causing the three to shift a bit in embarrassment.

"W-Well, we did just decide to come here yesterday," Izuku rubbed the back of his head. "We haven't had much time to plan it out."

"Do we really need to, though? Why not just ask him straight out if he's been gettin' some really messed up treatment from that old man," Ryuji shrugged.

"If he is the one who put the post on the Phan-site, it might be the easiest way to get the answers we need," Ann agreed.

"But what if he isn't?" Izuku pointed out, holding his chin in thought. "If it wasn't him, then it might be hard to get anything out of Kitagawa-san. We might just make him angry… we should be careful about how we approach this, or it'll be just like with the students we spoke to about Kamoshida, Ryuji-senpai."

Ryuji flinched at that, kicking the ground nervously. "Yeah, I guess you're right about that… but then how are we gonna get the info we need?"

"Asking straight out might be your only option anyways, considering that you guys didn't inform Kitagawa of your arrival," Morgana pointed out, Izuku and Ann guiltily looking away from the cat as he said this. "Just try to ask him tactfully."

"There… is another option open," Makoto suddenly spoke up, causing the others to stop and look back at her in question. "Well, considering Kitagawa doesn't know me, why not use that?"

"What do you mean?" Ann asked.

"I'll pretend to be writing a report on Madarame and his history in art. When I heard about your meeting with his pupil, I asked to come along so I could get some insider information on the artist. It might not completely excuse our sudden arrival, but it'll allow me to ask some more personal questions that someone might not be comfortable with answering normally. What do you think?"

Izuku, Ryuji, Ann and Morgana stared at Makoto in complete silence for a few moments.

She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and looked off to the side. "Um… I mean, if you guys wouldn't mind my help…"

"Th-That's a great plan, Koto-san!" Izuku exclaimed.

"Yeah, dude! That's way better than anything we coulda done by ourselves! It's a good thing you're here," Ryuji grinned, giving Makoto a thumbs up.

"I-I could have come up with something… eventually," Morgana said defensively, shifting one paw over the other before giving Makoto an appreciative look. "But still, that is indeed a wise course of action to take. I think we should go along with your plan, as well."

"Score one for the new girl! I'm so glad we brought you along!" Ann cheered, giving a kind smile to the brunette in appreciation.

Makoto felt her cheeks heat up and she folded her hands together. "W-Well, I didn't want to just be here and not give my two cents on the matter, but… I'm glad I was able to help in some way."

"Okay, guys. We'll let Koto-san take the lead on this. Ann-senpai, you might have to help get Kitagawa-san talking too, though. We're counting on you both to get the answers we need, okay?"

"Right! I'll do what I can to support you, Niijima-senpai!" Ann said, raising a hand to give Makoto a high-five. Makoto shyly returned the gesture before flashing the most confident smile she could manage.

"Alright. Leave it to me," She said, the group turning around and beginning to move forward again.

After another fifteen minutes of walking, the group arrived at Madarame's atelier. When Izuku heard the word shack, he wasn't sure what to expect, but he definitely didn't think two people would be living in a building that looked ready to fall over.

The siding consisted of mismatched pieces of rusted, crumpled awnings that were hastily stitched together with nails and bolts. The awning that sat over the front door consisted of a tarp pulled over another piece of rusted iron and the wiring for the overhead lamp was exposed. Even the sliding door was composed of dry, splintering wood laid over a dark paper screen.

"Is that it?" Ryuji blurted, his nose wrinkling as he looked up at the shack.

"This is the right address…" Ann muttered.

"I heard that Madarame was a 'starving artist', but this seems almost over the top…" Makoto said, scanning the house for potential structural weaknesses to worry about.

"Well, let's stick to the plan. Koto-san and Ann-senpai will take the lead on this. We'll try to support whatever you guys say in case he starts asking questions," said Izuku, turning to the others as he spoke.

"Right, gotcha… go ahead and knock on the door, Ann," Ryuji coughed, taking a minute but noticeable step back from the atelier.

"Wh-What? Me? Are you sure it won't collapse if I do?!"

"Careful not to sneeze or we'll blow the whole place down," Morgana chuckled from Izuku's bag.

"Come on, I'm sure it's nothing that bad. Probably…" Makoto trailed off, not fully convinced herself that this was a suitable place for people to live in. The four plus one cat moved to the front entrance, seeing the nameplate with Madarame's nameplate next to the door. With tense swallow, Ann reached an arm forward and pressed the doorbell.

" _Who is it?"_

It was Yusuke's voice, speaking over an intercom above the bell.

" _Sensei is currently out right now. You will-"_

"Um, Kitagawa-kun. It's me, Takamaki."

" _Takamaki? I'll be right down!"_

"So people really do live here, huh…" Ryuji muttered, unsure how the house was able to hold a person's weight.

"He sounded rather excited to see you, Takamaki-san. He must really want you for his painting," said Makoto.

Ann groaned, "You have no idea. Just wait until-"

"Takamaki-san…" Yusuke spoke as he immediately slid the door open. But the moment he caught sight of Ryuji and Izuku, his expression shifted into a glare. "You two… are here as well?"

His gaze then shifted to Makoto, his glare failing for a moment as he raised a brow. "Oh. But you're new."

"H-Hi there. We're terribly sorry to pop in on you without warning. My name is Makoto Niijima, a third-year at Shujin Academy, and their senior," Makoto said, bowing in greeting. Yusuke seemed hesitant, suspicious but still returning the greeting.

"Hello. Yusuke Kitagawa. It's nice to make your acquaintance."

"We're really sorry about doing this so last second, Kitagawa-kun, but Niijima-senpai needed to see you immediately," Ann said, putting on a pleading smile as she tried to do her part.

"She needed to see me? What for?" Yusuke asked, raising a brow a he looked at Makoto.

"You see, I'm actually doing a report on Madarame-sensei. I've been fascinated with his work for some time now and decided to write an essay based on his history as an artist," Makoto said as naturally as possible. "But then Takamaki-kun told me that she actually knew his pupil, and I **had** to come down and see you. I'm sorry it's so last minute, but my report is due soon and I needed to speak with you as soon as possible."

"Yeah, that's why I didn't contact you about it. Sorry, Kitagawa-kun…"

Yusuke seemed taken back by the news, his expression softening as he placed a hand on his hip. "I see… but why are you two here as well, then?"

"Oh, well, you know how it is. Gotta make sure that the girls were gettin' around safely and all," Ryuji lamely excused.

"S-Sorry if us being here is a bother…," Izuku bowed in apology.

"I… suppose not. But Sensei isn't here right now and he doesn't take interviews unless scheduled for."

"W-Well, that's why I was hoping to talk to you instead!" Makoto said before he moved to shut the door the door. "I'm sure Madarame-sensei is quite busy and I wouldn't want to waste his time. So I thought I'd get to know him through the eyes of his pupil."

"Ah, now I understand. While I hate to waste your time, I'm not much of one for interviews. I have some of my own work to focus on as well," Yusuke said, causing the four to stiffen. "But I might be willing to make this one exception… but in return…" his eyes shifted to Ann, a small smirk playing on his lips. "I request that Takamaki-san accept my offer to become my model."

"Wh-What?!"

"I don't like using this as leverage, Takamaki-san, but you must understand how serious I am about this," Yusuke said, bringing his hands up to his chest as his eyes shined with excitement. "If you agree to this, I will provide whatever insight that I can to Niijima-san. But that is the only offer I am willing to make."

Ann nervously tugged at the curly locks of her hair, looking at her friends for a way out of this. All she got were sympathetic glances.

"S-Sorry, Ann-senpai…"

"Come on, Ann. Take one for the team!"

Ann took a deep breath, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "Okay… I'll do it. B-But not today! I-I need time to mentally prepare for this!"

"That's fine. We wouldn't have time to do it today either way. But knowing that you're on board to do so means everything to me," Yusuke said, giving a genuine smile before turning to Makoto. "Alright, Niijima-san. I'll answer what questions you have about Sensei. We'll have to make it quick, as he'll be back soon and I'll have to give him my aid for the rest of the evening."

"O-Of course! Thank you, Kitagawa-san!" Makoto said, bowing in appreciation before the four followed him inside. Ryuji moved to put a hand on Ann's shoulder, only for the platinum blonde to shoot him a glare and stomp her way inside the atelier.

The group followed Yusuke to his art studio, the artist providing them with chairs to sit in while he took a seat across from Makoto.

"Alright, Niijima-san. Ask away."

"Of course. Alright, where to start…" Makoto began, clearing her throat as she clicked a pen in her hand and prepared to write notes down on a notebook in hand. From there, Makoto began with simple questions such as 'how long have you known Madarame' and 'what kind of teacher is Madarame?'. These weren't the questions they wanted to ask, but Izuku knew that she was using them as a way to get Yusuke talking and lower his defenses. He answered everything curtly, speaking with a certain amount of pride each time he recalled a personal time between him and his master.

"Man, she's really got this down…" Ryuji whispered to Izuku. "I'm half-convinced she actually is interviewin' him for a report."

"Same. Niijima-senpai is pretty amazing…" Ann muttered as she leaned closer to the two from Ryuji's left side.

"Alright, just a few more questions and I'll let you go Kitagawa-san," Makoto said, jotting down the last notable words that Yusuke had given her.

"Ah, good. Sensei should be back soon, so it would be best to wrap this up," Yusuke nodded in agreement.

"Alright, now these next questions are going to sound very personal, Kitagawa-san. Please bear with me and try not to get offended, okay?" Makoto said, crossing her hands over in her lap as she prepared for the final push.

"What… kind of questions could they possibly be?" Yusuke asked with narrowed eyes.

"Well… recently, rumors have sprouted up on the internet about Madarame's treatment of his students. They're accusing him of abusing his pupils and plagiarizing their work."

"W-What?! That's outrageous!" Yusuke stood up from his seat as he declared this. "I am his pupil, in case you forgot, and I say with utter certainty that such rumors are blatantly false!"

"K-Kitagawa-san, it's okay, just calm down…" Makoto put her hands up in hopes of placating him. "I-It's just a few posts that I've seen online while researching Madarame-sensei. I'm not saying he is or isn't…"

Yusuke was silent, his anger slowly dissipating as he looked across the room at his guests. He sat back down in his seat, taking a deep breath as he let himself calm down. "Forgive me, that was… very uncouth. It just displeases me to hear such rumors going around about Sensei."

"I understand. He is your mentor, after all."

"It's much more than that. Sensei took me in as a child when I had nothing. It is because of him that you see the man before you now," Yusuke declared, his voice filled with deep conviction. "I owe him my life."

The four silently glanced at one another when they heard the sincerity in Yusuke's words. Makoto shifted in her chair, sending Izuku a questioning look that asked if that was all they needed.

Izuku nodded in return. There wasn't much left for them to ask.

"Well… I think that's it for my questions, Kitagawa-san. Thank you for taking the time to see me," Makoto said, uncrossing her legs and standing from her seat, Izuku and the others doing the same. "And I'm sorry for bringing up such a subject."

"No, it's… quite alright. I'm glad that I could clear that up for you and hope that it will convince any other nay-sayers," Yusuke said with a nod. His face suddenly lit up as a smile crossed his lips.

"Here, I know. Let me show you something that will sway any lingering doubts in your mind," Yusuke fished into his pockets for his phone, his guests looking at him curiously before crowding around him to see what he had to show.

"Behold… Sensei's maiden work, the Sayuri."

Awe swept through them as he presented the image on his phone. It was a beautifully painted woman, her expression carrying deep love. None of them knew what it was, but they could feel the emotion put into the painting.

"It's… so beautiful," Ann muttered, entranced by the image.

"I… I knew about this piece, but I haven't seen it in some time," Makoto said, forced to make a little white lie about her knowledge. She was no less taken back by its beauty than the others.

"I don't know much about this fine arts stuff, but even I can tell that this is impressive…" Ryuji admitted.

"So… this was his first piece?" Izuku asked. " It's incredible."

"Yes. This is the painting that inspired me to become an artist. It filled me with such deep emotion the first time that I saw it… the same thing I felt the first time I saw you," Yusuke said, turning to Ann.

She jumped. "M-Me?"

"Yes. I wish to pursue beauty like the Sayuri with my own art. And I hope that I can do so with your aid," Yusuke declared, a sincere smile spreading across his face. "So please understand how serious I am about this painting I wish to create."

"I… I see…"

"Heh. I see you've done well to defend me, Yusuke."

The four jumped, their heads swivelling behind them to see Madarame standing at the door.

"Sensei!"

"Sorry to butt in, but as I came back, I heard your voice being raised. I apologize for eavesdropping, but it was good to hear Yusuke defend me against such rumors," Madarame chuckled kindly, causing the four to nervously shift. "Don't worry, I understand. It makes sense to doubt a cranky old man like myself, I'm sure. But I'm happy to see what emotion you all felt after seeing my work."

"Y-Yes… sorry for asking your student such a rude question…" Makoto said, her right eye shut as she felt embarrassed.

"Think nothing of it. If I can clear the doubts of even one person, that's good enough for me," Madarame laughed again. "Yusuke, whenever you're done with your friends, please come to my studio so we can start our work."

"Of course, Sensei. I'll be right up," Yusuke said, watching his mentor take his leave. "With that, I do believe we're done here. Allow me to show you out."

"N-No, that's okay. Feel free to go and help out your teacher," Izuku suggested, giving an apologetic expression. "We don't want to hold you up. Thank you for seeing us today."

"I see. Well then, I shall do just that. I'm glad I could talk some sense into you all. Takamaki-san, I will be in touch. Be sure to let me know when you're available to model for my painting, will you?"

"U-Um, right. I will," Ann nodded. With that, the group exited the atelier, parting ways with Yusuke and stopping once they reached the sidewalk.

"So… what do you guys think?" Izuku asked.

Morgana hopped out of his bag, jumping on top of a nearby street rail.

"I dunno, man… they both seem like some nice guys to me, to be honest," Ryuji admitted, letting out a sigh as he scratched the back of his head.

"Yusuke did seem really adamant about Madarame not being abusive or plagiarizing… maybe we really do have the wrong guy," Ann said, feeling guilty of suspecting Madarame of foul play.

"Maybe… well, at least we checked for ourselves. Thank you for your help today, Koto-san," Izuku said, turning to the third-year with a small smile. "Sorry we brought you along for something that didn't pan out. You even ended up doing the most in there."

"No, it's fine. At least I know you guys aren't just picking people as targets without concrete evidence. Not that I would doubt you on that," Makoto chuckled, giving Izuku a small smile in return.

"Before you guys jump off the Madarame bus, why don't you check the Meta-Nav?" Morgana suggested, causing the group to raise a brow in confusion. Izuku did as he said though, pulling out his phone. Only to find that the Meta-Nav was already open.

" _Location found. Please enter final keyword to begin navigation."_

"What?!" Izuku, Ann and Ryuji blurted, shocked to see that the app was already open.

"Wh-What is it? What's going on?" Makoto asked, walking up beside them to look at the phone.

"I-It looks like the Meta-Nav already has Madarame listed for us. That means he does have a Palace…" Izuku explained, trailing off as his suspicions began to build again.

"So… does that mean the rumors are true?! What the hell is goin' on?!" Ryuji exclaimed, looking at the others in confusion.

"Let's take a look at what we've got so far in the Meta-Nav," Morgana said, Izuku walking over and showing him the entries. "So the trigger words entered so far are 'Madarame', 'plagiarism', and 'shack'... all we're missing is what Madarame envisions the shack to be."

"What do you mean?" Makoto asked, still the least knowledgeable on the subject than the others.

"Well, you see, the Palaces form into how the ruler envisions the place that they exist. Like with Kamoshida, he pictured the school as his 'castle', which materialized an actual castle in the Cognitive World," Izuku explained for Makoto, looking down at his phone in thought. "We have to figure out what kind of place Madarame visualizes the shack to be to him…"

"For real, though, I can't believe that old man really has a Palace… this is so damn strange…" Ryuji grumbled, his foot tapping on the ground.

"Well, let's set aside our doubts for now and try to figure out what the final keyword is," Morgana said, looking around at the group. "So, any suggestions?"

"Hm… well he is an artist, so… maybe it's related to that?" Ann shrugged, unsure if her hunch was right or not.

"Well, that's not a bad place to start. Maybe… an exhibition?" Izuku said, holding the phone up to his mouth as he spoke.

" _No entry found."_

"Uh… a jail?" Ryuji tossed out.

" _No entry found."_

"That wasn't really related to art, though," Ann pointed out.

"I know, I was just thinkin' about what that post said about him I guess," Ryuji sighed in disappointment.

"Here, let me try," Makoto said, Izuku nodding as he held the phone up for her to speak into. "If the artist angle does work for us, then perhaps… a museum?"

" _Entry found. Beginning Navigation."_

"W-Wait, beginning navigation?!" Ryuji exclaimed. Without further warning, the world around them began to warp. Makoto was especially disoriented by the shift in scenery, the sky's hue changing from the soft orange of a sunset to that of a moonlit night. Looking around, she realized that the others had transformed, seeing Izuku in the outfit he wore the day he took her into Mementos.

"What the-hey! Warn me before you guys travel to the Metaverse next time!" Morgana complained, having trouble balancing on the street rail now that he was back on two feet.

Ryuji shrugged. "We didn't do it on purpose. It just kinda took us here once Niijima-senpai said the keyword."

"W-Wow… so all of your outfits changed, too," Makoto said, moving closer to Ann and Ryuji and inspecting their new outfits. "I hadn't thought of what kind of changes your wardrobes would go through despite seeing Midori in his outfit. I have to say though, Takamaki-kun… I wasn't expecting something so… daring?"

Ann hugged herself to cover her chest. "L-Let's not talk about it! I didn't really have a choice in the matter…."

"Guys, look. The shack changed…" Izuku pointed out, causing his teammates to look back at where the scrap pile atelier once stood. In its place was a sprawling complex composed of prisms of all kinds stacked atop one another. The building seemed to glow shades of bronze as gold, wispy detailing crept its way around each and every window, which all emitted blue light. A high wall composed of blocks arranged to rise and fall like a wave wrapped around the place. Searchlights shot into the darkened clouds above, as if to flag down more guests than the veritable army of attendees already present..

"Dude, how is that crummy shack **this** fancyass museum?!" Ryuji blurted, eyes scanning the museum up and down.

"Wow… It's so extravagant… to the point that it's gaudy," Ann said, her voice filled with disappointment.

"So this is a Palace… It's far different than that Mementos place you brought me to," Makoto mused, holding her chin in interest as she inspected the design.

"Yeah. This is a lot different than Kamoshida's Palace," Izuku said, crossing his arms in thought.

"Remember, a Palace is a reflection of their owner's desires. The setting will vary between rulers based on how they see themselves and where the Palace exists," Morgana explained.

"But… Madarame's artwork is on display in a bunch of different museums in reality, too. His exhibit was popular and tons of people already respect him. It seems really weird that he'd fantasize about a museum, too," said Ann.

"You got a point. It ain't related to plagiarism or abuse, either," Ryuji agreed, crossing his arms over his chest before looking at Makoto and Izuku.

"It's hard to say… we don't have enough information to really answer that," Izuku sighed, tilting his head down as he tried to determine the answer himself.

"Maybe… there's something he wants to show people but can't?" Makoto guessed, drawing the other's attention to her. "This is just a theory, so don't quote me on it, but perhaps he wants to display something that wouldn't be acceptable to the public."

"Huh. Interesting theory, newbie. Still, there's no use racking our brains about it until we confirm it for ourselves. We should try looking around," Morgana suggested, earning nods of agreement from the others.

"That aside, though… ain't a museum a **must** for phantom thieves?" Ryuji pointed out, grinning in anticipation.

"I-I suppose if we were thieves in the more literal sense," Izuku chuckled. "But don't let your guard down. Aside from Shadows, we'll probably have to deal with some kind of security system if it's anything like a real museum."

"Right, right. I'll keep my eyes open," Ryuji nodded before turning to examine the faceless crowd lined up outside the front entrance. "We're not gonna get in line to try and get in, are we?"

"What? What kind of phantom thieves would we be if we used the front entrance?" Morgana snapped. The idea alone seemed to irritate him. "We'll have to find our own way in. Besides, I doubt security would let us in looking like this, anyway."

"A-Ah, right, good point."

"Heh. You guys are really into the whole 'thief' aspect. I'd almost think you were more interested in stealing treasure than anything else," Makoto giggled in amusement, smiling as she looked over at Izuku.

"Y-Yeah, they really like to get into the role," Izuku laughed, rubbing the back of his head.

"So, how will we proceed from here?"

"Well, we'll…" Izuku trailed off, his lips curling down into a frown. "Um… well, the rest of us will go into the museum to stake it out, but…"

"But..?" Makoto began before widening her eyes in realization. "W-Wait, no! You're not going to leave me, are you?!"

"Oh, right. I totally forgot about what we'd do with you…" Ryuji muttered honestly.

"I'm sorry, Niijima-senpai. You probably have to stay behind," Ann said, feeling a bit awkward having to tell her this.

"B-But why?! I've come this far, haven't I?"

"We're sorry, Niijima-san. But like you said, you're not a true member of the team yet. Not to mention you don't have a Persona to protect yourself with," Morgana pointed out.

"I-I'm sorry, Koto-san. I wasn't expecting us to go into the Palace like this today," Izuku explained. "But it really will be dangerous for you to come with us with Shadows moving around.".

"B-But I wanted to see how you guys operate!" Makoto pushed, panic crossing her expression. "A-And besides, you **know** I can handle myself! Not only have I kept up my training in Aikido, but you know that my Quirk should be enough to protect me!"

Izuku opened his mouth to argue, but saw her point in that. "Well… that is true… But…"

"Oh, right. Izuku never did tell us what your Quirk is," Ryuji pointed out with interest. "What exactly can you do?"

Makoto smiled at the question, raising her hands and pulling her leather gloves off. Looking around, she spotted a car on the street in front of the museum, walking up to it and placing her right hand on the surface. The group followed after third-year brunette and intently watched her every move.

Much to their surprise, the skin of her right hand took on a steely matte hue. Raising her hand back up for them to see, she pulled her sleeve down, revealing that the rest of her arm had changed as well.

"My Quirk is called Absorption. With my right hand, I can place my fingertips on any inorganic matter and absorb the properties of whatever I touch. Metal, cement, plastic, you name it. So long as it isn't some sort of living thing like people or plants, I can absorb that material and turn my body into it."

"Wh-What~?!" Ryuji, Ann and Morgana gaped.

"It's an amazing Quirk, right?!" Izuku exploded, his eyes awash with admiration as he lost himself in the moment. "But that's not all! She can also-"

"Ah ah, no spoilers, Midori," the green-haired teen curled his lips in before he could blurt anything else. She walked over to one of the helix-shaped lamp posts, her audience following close behind. Makoto raised her left hand, touching one of the lightbulbs. She used her still-metallic hand to break the stained glass, revealing the small circuit at the center that generated the light.

Makoto reached forward and touched the open circuit directly. Instead of getting shocked, her fingers tightened around the wire as sparks started to crackle around her hand. The other lights on the post began to flicker and dim until she finally Makoto released the circuit.

"And… with my left hand, I can absorb energy."

Holding up her left hand for them to see, three thieves felt their jaws slacken as electricity streamed between her fingers.

"I can pass the energy I absorb throughout the rest of my body, even while maintaining the characteristics of something I absorbed with my right hand," Makoto let the electric current move through her body and into her right hand, the metal sparking as the electricity wrapped around her fist.

"I only have two weaknesses. I can only maintain this for a minute before my body returns to normal. I can't absorb more than one thing at a time with each hand, so if I have metal already absorbed, I can't absorb cement on top of it. Still, I'd say that my Quirk qualifies for being strong enough to protect me."

"Holy shit… for real?" Ryuji muttered.

"Your Quirk is… incredible!" Ann exclaimed, her eyes lighting up as her shock passed.

"I thought Ryuji's wasn't so bad if it wasn't for his bum knee, but… yours certainly takes the cake," Morgana said, staring at Makoto in disbelief.

"Koto-san could have become a Hero with a Quirk like hers. It really is amazing," Izuku nodded, but the frown on his face only spread as he looked down. "B-But still… Even with that…"

"Aw, come on, dude. I think she'll be fine in there!" Ryuji pitched in, patting Izuku on the shoulder. "Besides, we're only stakin' the place out right now, anyway. It's not like we're goin' for the Treasure right now, right?"

"W-Well…"

"Plus, this might be a good chance to see how Makoto holds her own against Shadows. As a potential phantom thief, she should know what kinds of threats we'll be dealing with," Morgana pointed out this time, deciding to support the decision.

"Yeah, Izuku. I think we should give her a chance. Niijima-senpai has been really helpful so far, after all," Ann said, pitching in the Makoto camp this time. Izuku's eyes darted between his teammates. He could see their points but his thoughts were still riddled with doubt.

"Midori… you asked me to join the Phantom Thieves of Hearts," Makoto began, walking up to the green-haired teen and placing a hand on his shoulder. "And while I have my reservations, I'd be lying to say that I'm not becoming more and more interested in joining you. So please, let me have this chance to show you that I can pull my weight. I'll follow your instructions and I won't get cocky."

Izuku stared back at Makoto, worry lingering in his eyes. Despite his concerns, Izuku took a deep breath and nodded.

"Alright, Koto-san. You can come."

The team cheered in response and Makoto gave Izuku an appreciative grin.

"I won't let you guys down."

"I… I believe you. Just don't underestimate any of the enemies we see in there, okay?" Izuku said before turning around, leading the group to the front wall. "Alright, everyone. Let's do our best to scout the Palace out."

"Yeah!"

Makoto trailed behind the others, allowing them to guide while she listened for their instructions. The last thing she wanted was to get in their way, especially on her first "mission" with them.

 _I promise that I'll be useful, Midori._

 **To be continued…**

 **Thanks as always goes to my beta reppuzan who even during school time is helping me out. Means a lot man.**

 **Before we get to the AN, I just want to say WOW! We've surpassed the 1000 mark in follows AND favorites! I can't tell you how stunned and joyed I am to see that. When I started this story, I had no idea what kind of popularity it would pick up. But here we are. Thank you all for supporting and enjoying this story as much as you all have as I've been really happy to bring it to you. For those on FFN that don't know, I'll be releasing a one-shot for this story as celebration.I've just put it on the backburner for a bit due to focusing on my main stories and school. I'm thinking of taking a brief break from the main stories I write to give a little focus to my side projects. So while it might not be real soon, expect it in the near future.**

 **Alright, and there we have it! Chapter 22! I do hope you all enjoyed that little runthrough and do apologize for cutting it a bit short. I wanted to make sure all the juicy bits coming up in the story revolving around Madarame's Palace were focused together, and thought this would be the best place to cut it rather than wait another two thousand words to look for an appropriate point to do so.**

 **As you all saw, we made some good progression story-wise on the Madarame Palace. We can finally get moving along and start jumping into the action now that Kamoshida is behind us. Considering that there's a lot less to introduce and cover story and character wise in this arc, I doubt things will move as slowly as they did with Kamoshida's arc which I know was a small point of contention for you guys. But don't worry guys, I have a good feeling about the pace in this arc.**

 **PS. Just to clear this up, the inspiration for Makoto's powers came from Absorbing Man, not Kevin Eleven, who didn't even enter my mind when thinking of her powers.**

 **Anyways, that's all for now, thank you for reading and please feel free to leave a follow, a favorite and a review if you'd be so kind!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: My Hero Academia and the Persona series do not belong to me. Please support the official releases.**

Chapter 23

"Make sure to watch your step, Koto-san!"

Izuku expertly leaped from one pillar to the next, Ryuji and Ann just ahead of him. Izuku watched the third-year tentatively, ready to catch her in case she fell. It would be even worse if she drew the attention of the nearby Shadows patrolling the courtyard.

"Okay…" Makoto nodded, hopping along the pillars in a slow rhythm. Her skirt was restricting her movements, but she wasn't about to let something this small get in her way now.

She soon reached the other end, Izuku steadying her as she set foot on the roof. "Phew. You guys made it look so easy, but it was pretty intimidating. Especially with the Shadows below."

"Yeah, it did take some getting used to. But it'll get easier for you as we go," Izuku turned to face the rest of his team. "Do we have a way in?"

"Yeah, but… it's pretty far down," Ryuji explained as he peered over the edge of a skylight. "I don't know if we wanna jump that."

"I've got it covered," Morgana smirked, hopping over to the punk and producing a rope from nowhere. "As phantom thieves, we must always be prepared for situations like these."

"Whoa, score one for Mona!" Ann cheered.

"Where the hell'd you even get that?" Ryuji asked in disbelief.

"I made sure to have one ready. I am the tool specialist of the group, after all."

"Alright, let's rope down then. But make sure no Shadows are around to jump us the moment we touch the ground," Izuku told them. The room wasn't lit, but there was enough moonlight streaming through the skylights to illuminate the room. Nothing moved aside from the undulating colors of the gold-framed paintings on the walls.

"Looks like we're clear," Ryuji said after one last check.

"Alright. Lower the rope and I'll go in first to make sure," Izuku volunteered, earning a nod from Morgana. Pulling the window open, the cat tossed the rope down, allowing Izuku to shimmy down safely. Landing on soft blue carpet, Izuku activated his Third Eye, gaze trailing across the room cautiously. Aside from some hidden treasures in a few vases, there was nothing waiting for them.

"Okay, it's safe. Come down!"

Izuku hopped down to the floor to make room for the other thieves as they descended from the skylight. As Makoto hopped down last, the group moved slowly through the room, minding their surroundings.

"It's quiet. Almost too quiet…" Morgana muttered, eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"H-Hey! Look at the picture!" Ann exclaimed as she gawked at the painting before her. "It's moving!"

"Oh, come on. That's gotta be the least bizarre thing you could expect in a Palace, now," Ryuji waved her off as he glanced at the other trembling paintings.

"Still, this is a reflection of Madarame's heart. We should check the pictures out and see if they can clue us in on anything," Morgana suggested, the group moving forward to inspect the painting.

Ann tilted her head to the side. "Strange… the painting's just a portrait. Madarame's famous for having so many different art styles, so why would something like this be here?"

"There's a plaque here. Maybe it'll give us some details?" Ryuji stepped forward to read it. "It's… just a name and date. What the hell?"

"That doesn't sound right. Maybe it's the name of the painter?" Ann suggested.

"That wouldn't make much sense. Considering Madarame's distorted desires, the painting would have to be something he's personally invested in, right?" Izuku said, holding his chin as he looked at her from the side.

Makoto nodded. "Judging from the way you explained the Palace to me, that does sound more likely."

"Come on. Let's take a look at the other paintings. Maybe we'll get some more clues as to the meaning behind this," Morgana said, the group moving toward the next hall. Izuku took note of the security system strewn around the doors and walls. It seemed to be off, but he imagined that wouldn't be the case the next time they came.

Pulling his attention away from the electronic security, he inspected the portraits with everyone else, soon discovering that they were all the same as the first: a portrait of someone none of them knew, with a plaque supposedly of their name and, considering the dates, their birthdays.

"This doesn't make sense. Madarame's known for having a multitude of artistic styles," Ann declared, rubbing her arm uncomfortably. "Why do all these portraits look the same?"

"Hey, look!" Ryuji jogged ahead of the others to study another portrait. "Ain't this the guy we saw in Mementos? You know, the one who was shit-talkin' Madarame?"

Izuku, Ann and Morgana shifted their gazes up to see the image of their previous target on the wall.

"It really is him… Natsuhiko Nakanohara," Morgana said, skipping up to the plaque by the portrait. "It has his name and everything…"

"You guys targeted him before?" Makoto asked, striding alongside the others.

"Yeah. He didn't have a Palace, but we did fight his Shadow. His desires had become twisted enough that he started stalking his ex-girlfriend," Izuku's eyes trailed from the portrait to Makoto. "After we took him down, he mentioned that Madarame had ruined his life. I guess we really do have the right guy…"

"But that don't make any sense!" Ryuji furiously scratched the top of his head. "Why's there a paintin' of this guy in here?! And why's his name under it?!"

Ann's gaze fell. "You're right… aren't the names of like, the paintings or the artist usually written here?"

"The better question would be why Madarame would want to put these people on display like this. Could it be that he values these people? Or something more devious…?" Makoto suggested, the rest of the thieves looking at one another.

"W-Well… at least no one is being tortured like in Kamoshida's castle… This might be a good sign…" Izuku's voice quivered as he said this. "But that might just mean he's not physically abusive… there could be something else going on here instead."

"Right. Let's keep pushing forward," said Morgana, The group continued on, their eyes hovering over the portraits hanging close by.

As Izuku scanned their surroundings, his eyes landed on a portrait at the end of the hall. "H-Hey, look! Isn't that Kitagawa-san?"

The others followed his gaze, confirming his inquiry with their own eyes. A portrait of Madarame's pupil stretched up against the wall, noticeably bigger than the rest so far.

"Yep. That's definitely him," Ryuji said, stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"Well, if Nakanohara has the relationship with Madarame I think he does, this would confirm one thing," Makoto spoke up, drawing the others' attention to her. "These portraits are all of his pupils."

Izuku nodded grimly. "Yeah, I was thinking the same…"

"It does fit the bill… His pupils supposedly got the brunt of problems in the rumors," Ann pointed out in agreement.

"Whoa, for real?! But there's so many of 'em!" Ryuji took a step back. "It was only that Yusuke guy when we were there!"

"This gallery must include former pupils as well," Morgana said, placing his paws on his hips. "And now only one remains. What Nakanohara said is starting to become clearer now. Let's keep digging. We need something more to confirm our deductions."

The group nodded, heading toward the next hall together. As they entered what looked like the main entrance, Morgana's eyes lit up as he spotted a reception desk. "Oh, look! On that stand! We should be able to get a map from there."

"Great. Go ahead and grab one for us so we can find our way around," Izuku told him, the cat nodding before skipping forward and grabbing a pamphlet, Ryuji and Ann following behind and looking at the map as he laid it out for them to see.

"You know, I'm kinda surprised…" Makoto said, tugging on Izuku's coat before he could join the others. "I didn't think we'd get so far without encountering a Shadow as you said."

"Ah, I suppose not, huh?" Izuku agreed before a thought occurred to him. "Then again, we did enter the last Palace without knowing anything at the time, so we walked right into the guards. Since we were a lot more careful this time around, we haven't made any shifts to the cognition that would make Madarame wary of us just yet."

"I see. It seems I still have a bit to learn about this Metaverse."

"I'm sure you'll catch up faster than we did," Izuku said before joining the others. "So did you find a map?"

"Yeah, but it's only of half of the Museum. We'll probably have to find the rest deeper within," Morgana said, though his face was a bit concerned. "But judging from what I'm seeing here, this place is actually going to be bigger than Kamoshida's castle."

"Oh, just great. Wasn't the stupid castle big enough?" Ryuji clicked his tongue, his toe tapping the ground impatiently.

"We'll have to worry about that later. Our objective right now is to peer through Madarame's cognition," Morgana reminded him.

"Considerin' he's got a Palace, ain't that fishy enough?"

"Even so, the more details we know, the better. A Palace and what we've seen so far doesn't confirm any crimes. At least not yet," Izuku suggested. "Let's keep pushing."

"Right," the others agreed. Morgana tucked the pamphlet away for later use. Proceeding into the next room, they entered a more spacious area. Twin rows of gold banners emblazoned with Madarame's name and likeness ran along the ceiling. They danced back and forth even though there wasn't a breeze to push them. The rows met and circled around a statue at the center of the room. It was a gilded wave consisting of three rows of metal that spiraled into the air counterclockwise. The forms of people, students, were found on every level of the statue. Some were curled up in a ball of despair. Others were cowering from some unknown assailant. A few more were begging on the ground like starved dogs.

Morgana stepped closer, eyes narrowing at the design and plaque under it. "Take a look at this."

"'The Infinite Spring'," Ann raised a brow. "'A conglomerate work of art that the great director Madarame created with his own funds. These individuals must offer up their ideas up to director Madarame for the rest of their lives. Those who cannot do so have… no worth living'?! Wait, this has to do with the plagiarism, right?"

"'Offer up', hm? So the plagiarism is real, then…" said Makoto.

Izuku nodded. "I guess that means that he's just stealing his students' art and using them for fame and fortune."

Ryuji stomped the ground hard enough for it to echo through the halls. "Damnit, that phony geezer!"

"If what this statue indicates is true, he views his pupils as property. This is even worse than we thought," Morgana pointed out, turning to the rest of the team. "He's likely giving his pupils a livelihood in exchange for their art to be added to his own accolades."

"I'm guessing that all of the past pupils were just tossed aside like trash. If that's the case. Nakanohara is proof of that," Makoto pointed out. "They were either fed up with his treatment or weren't making paintings useful to him anymore and were shut out."

"He's just treating them like slaves or tools!" Ann exclaimed.

"Damn it, if this is all true, then why the hell's Yusuke keepin' a lid on it?! Why cover for that asshole?!" Ryuji snapped before stomping his foot again.

"Kitagawa-kun did say that he owed his life to Madarame for being taken in…" Ann pointed out, causing Ryuji to wince.

"But still…"

"If Madarame took him in as a child, then their relationship is still deeper than the others," Makoto added. Concern crossed her face. "Still, he was among the portraits. Even if they are 'close' in a sense, Madarame's still using him for his own ends."

"That reminds me. While we toured the exhibit, there was this one painting that Kitagawa-kun acted really strange around," said Ann. "It was a beautiful piece, but he was avoiding it like the plague. Maybe… that was plagiarized, too."

"So what's the call, Hero? Is this enough to target Madarame now?" Ryuji asked as all eyes fell on his junior. Izuku's hand was already tapping his chin as he mulled this over. If he had one of his notebooks he'd probably be scribbling in it right now.

"I… I think it is, but… we should confirm it all before we jump in," Izuku suggested, looking back up at Ryuji and the others. "We should find some solid evidence from Kitagawa-san himself. He's the only pupil left, so he might know the most about it."

"Why bother?! Isn't this all the evidence we need?!"

Morgana shook his head. "While this is all pretty damning, we still don't know enough about Madarame. We need to know how deep this goes and what exactly he's doing, especially since it involves Kitagawa."

"They're right. If you guys charge into this Museum carelessly, you might end up making a target of just some old man with nothing to show for it," Makoto added.

"I'll contact Kitagawa-kun. Since I did promise to model for him, he might just feel more inclined to talk…" Ann said, a bit of dread coloring her face. "You all better come with me! I'd be too nervous going alone."

"O-Of course, Panther! We'll help so you don't feel too alone doing it," Izuku nodded, hoping to ease her worries.

"Well, if you guys think it's best, I won't argue. Gives us a chance to prep until we get confirmation from Yusuke, at least," Ryuji shrugged in agreement before grinning at the others. "Still, a world-renowned artist, huh? This might be tougher than Kamoshida. I'm sure his ego is way~ bigger! And this will be our first job as official Phantom Thieves! We're gonna succeed no matter what!"

* * *

"You know… I've been thinking about it…" said, her hand looped in the hanging rail of the train car. After finishing their business at Madarame's Palace, the group was ready to head home. "Now this might just be some extreme thinking, but if an evil person isn't causing trouble now, should we really be stepping in?"

"Well… I guess you got a point. What do you guys think?" Ryuji asked, looking at Izuku and Makoto, the former standing next to him with the latter seated in front of them.

"I… I don't think that's okay," said Izuku. "Even if he has stopped recently, he's still hurt a lot of people. If the people in the portraits were all his pupils who all suffered under him, then he shouldn't be allowed to get away with it."

"I don't disagree, but these kinds of crimes do have statutes of limitation on them. While Madarame does deserve to be punished for what he's done to others, Kitagawa-kun's livelihood should also be considered," said Makoto. "He seemed genuinely fond of Madarame. And right now, he's the only remaining pupil."

Izuku's jaw clenched. "So… in the end, we should leave it up to Kitagawa-san whether it's worth pursuing?"

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense. The guy's pretty old, and it doesn't look like he's gonna have any more students anytime soon," Ryuji sighed, scratching the back of his head. "I dunno. If it were me, I'd never forgive that bastard."

"Like they said, it really does rely on how deep their relationship is. Sure, Kitagawa might be getting exploited by the old man, but if he is volunteering it rather than being forced to do so, is it really up to us to stop him?" said Morgana. "Still, I can't say I disagree with you. How much can you forgive in that kind of situation?"

"Well, we won't know until we talk to Kitagawa-san about it again," Izuku looked out the window to see their transfer approaching. "We can figure out the rest from there."

"Yeah, good point. No use tripping over it now," Ryuji nodded, tugging his book bag tighter against his shoulder as the train started to slow to a stop. The group filed together, stepping off the train once the doors slid open.

"Well, setting aside our possible target for now, this was certainly an interesting first day as a would-be member of the team," Makoto said, turning back to the others and smiling gratefully. "Thank you guys again for letting me come along."

"So, what do you think? Ready to join the gang, Niijima-san?" Morgana asked, peeking his head out of Izuku's bag.

Makoto turned her gaze aside and pushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Well… I can't say I'm not interested in how this is developing…"

"Come on, Koto-san! I know I was reluctant to take you into the Palace, but that was because I wasn't sure if it was wise to dive into it with you so soon!" Izuku declared, his eyes glittering. "If you join us now, it'd really help us out. We'll make sure you're properly prepared before the next time we go in, too!"

Makoto felt a pang of guilt as she surveyed the nods and smiles the others gave her. But she squashed those feelings and flashed her best smile and nodded.

"Well… I suppose if you're going to twist my arm, I can't really say no, can I?" she said with a chuckle. "Count me in."

All of the tension in her shoulders vanished as the rest of the Phantom Thieves cheered.

"Alright, then. Starting tomorrow, we'll begin work on getting our last bit of info on Madarame from Kitagawa-san. It will be our final confirmation on whether we're going to target him," Izuku reminded the others.

Ann nodded. "I'm still a bit nervous about modeling, but if it's for the team, I'll keep my cool!"

"We'll be there with you, so don't sweat it," Ryuji chuckled, patting her on the shoulder.

"I doubt that there's any sort of agenda behind his offer, so try not to think too much about it," Makoto offered in comfort.

"Hopefully he won't mind that we're all there. But I'm sure he'll do what he can to make sure Ann-senpai stays happy," Izuku said as he watched the approaching train. "Oh, and we'll add you to our group chat, Koto-san. We usually discuss plans and whatever else there."

"Thanks. I'll do everything I can to help!"

* * *

"I was under the impression that only you would be coming, Takamaki-san."

Ann swallowed a lump in her throat, giving a faint smile as she looked at her friends seated neatly together by the wall.

"W-Well, I was just nervous. Wouldn't you be with just the two of us here?"

"Plus, we're here to keep an eye on you," Ryuji added, scratching the fabric on his chest. "So don't go tryin' anything pervy, 'kay?"

Ryuji's bluntness could be grating, Ann appreciated him saying it straight out for her.

"Stop making such odd assumptions. I have no interest in her as someone of the opposite sex," Yusuke scoffed.

Ann stared wide-eyed at the artist. "Huh?"

"Is there a problem?"

Somehow that rubbed her the wrong way.

"No, not really…" she took a seat on the stool provided for her, assuming a thinker's position with one leg crossed over the other.

Satisfied, Yusuke situated himself in front of his easel, picking up the palette close by and touching the edge of his brush with paint. "Well then, let's get started."

Ann's pose made it hard for her to look at Yusuke, barely making him out at the corner of her eye. She could tell he began, at least, due to the silence and the soft strokes she could just make out.

"Hey…"

Silence was her only answer.

"Kitagawa-kun?"

Nothing.

"You hear her?"

Ryuji's voice was loud enough that Yusuke had to have heard it. But again, nothing but silence.

"Uh oh… I think he's too focused," said Makoto.

"I-I hadn't thought about what would happen in this case… he's so dedicated to his painting that he's blocking everything else out," Izuku mumbled.

"S-So what do we do?" Ann asked. She didn't dare move.

"Yeah! Wasn't the plan to catch him off guard and make him spill his beans?" Morgana's muffled voice asked from Izuku's bag.

"Considering that we're having this full conversation without him noticing, I think we'll just have to wait," Makoto sighed in resignation.

"What an effin' pain in the ass," Ryuji grumbled. Ann definitely agreed on that part. She was hoping that they could have cut her modeling short when they started questioning Yusuke.

"Well… if that's the case, perhaps I should try scouting around?" Morgana said, his voice clear enough that Ann guessed Izuku let him out.

"W-Well, it didn't look like Madarame was here… but be careful either way," their leader suggested.

"Of course. Espionage is just another one of my specialties," With that, Ann could hear the small thud as Morgana leapt from Izuku's lap. She couldn't help but feel jealous. While he scurried off to find some dirt, she was forced to sit unmoving until Yusuke was done.

 _Well, nothing I can do about it. Besides, how long should it take to paint a single portrait?_

* * *

Long. Hours long. Izuku, Ryuji and Makoto wearily shuffled in their seats, browsing their phones for some form of distraction from the long wait. At one point, Ryuji tried to get Yusuke's attention again, but only to receive the same reaction, or lack thereof, as before. Ann had it the worst, unable to move from her spot while he was still painting.

Yusuke suddenly sighed, the group snapping their attention up to see the artist hunched over with his elbows on his knees.

"Are you done?" Ryuji asked, unable to hide his impatience behind his grin.

"It's no good…" The artist lamented.

"What?!" the spectators shouted.

"I'm sorry. Is it me?"

"No, not at all. It's just… I'm having trouble focusing today," Yusuke explained, setting his painting tools to the side.

"You were?" Izuku and Makoto asked unceremoniously.

"I'm sorry, but we'll have to pick this back up another time."

"What?! Oh, hell no!" Ryuji shot up from his seat. "We've been waiting for hours, man!"

Makoto and Izuku looked at one another with some uncertainty before getting up from their seats as well.

"Sorry, but… we had another reason for seeing you today. We really needed to talk to you," Ann explained apologetically.

"Kitagawa-san, I hate to bring this up again, but it's about the rumors regarding Madarame," Izuku began. "We know that by now it might seem apathetic to bring it up, but this is important."

"This again…" Yusuke growled, rising to his feet as he prepared to lash back.

"That painting at the exhibit… you're the one who actually painted it, right?" Ann asked before he could start.

"That's…" the artist winced, turning his head away from them and bringing a hand up to his chest. Despite wanting to dismiss the claim, it was obvious that Yusuke had been caught.

"I knew it," Ann said, taking his reaction as a 'yes'.

"Your sensei is seriously messed up. He just thinks of his pupils as tools," Ryuji spat, only for Makoto to place a hand on his shoulder to placate him.

"So you really did know about the plagiarism, Kitagawa-kun. Not only that, but you've allowed him to use your art as well. Why is that?" Makoto asked.

"I… I don't know what you're talking about," Yusuke answered.

Ryuji took a step forward. "Bullshit, man! Your sensei's just stealin' work from his students because he doesn't give a damn about 'em! Stop tryin' to hide it from us!"

"R-Ryuji-senpai, enough," the faux blond hesitated as he looked at his leader. "All we want is the truth, Kitagawa-san. Why are you helping Madarame despite the plagiarism?"

"You can't turn against him, can you? If you tell us everything, I'm sure we can help you out," Ann offered.

Yusuke's eyes glazed over the group in front of him, releasing a deep breath in resignation. "Just… stop it. I'll admit, it's just as you all say. We are our sensei's… 'artwork'. Don't misunderstand me, though. I offered my ideas to him myself. It can't be called 'plagiarism'. Sensei's just suffering from artist's block right now."

"But dude, still..!" Ryuji exclaimed.

"Kitagawa-san. From what Ann-senpai said, you weren't happy to have that painting in his exhibit," the artist to winced again. "Are you really okay with this?"

"Yeah, and what about the other pupils?! Why're you stickin' around?!" Ryuji stomped his foot on the ground. "They all left because of what he's doin'! Why're you stickin' around?!"

"What's wrong with a pupil helping out his master?!" Yusuke demanded. The group recoiled at his sudden increase in volume. "Having that painting there was… unfortunate, but if it meant helping sensei, I was willing to part with it! There are no victims here! Stop pushing your self-centered righteousness on me!"

"But… what about his other pupils?" Makoto asked as Yusuke turned to her. "What about what they suffered?"

Yusuke went silent, his fist tightening at his side. He went back to his seat, sitting down and glowering at the group in contempt.

"Don't ever come here again. If you do, I'll sue you all for causing a disturbance," Yusuke growled. "I invited Takamaki-san here, but I do not recall inviting the rest of you over."

"Hold it! We're not done-" Ryuji started, only for Makoto to put a hand on his chest.

"Stop it! Don't forget Midori's situation!" Makoto hissed. Ryuji's mouth slammed shut, but Yusuke didn't seem convinced.

"Fine. If you won't stop, then you leave me no choice," he whipped his phone out of his pocket. "I'm calling the police."

"W-Wait! That won't be necessary!" Ann quickly said in a panic, shoving Ryuji's shoulder back toward the door.

"W-We won't cause any more trouble!" Izuku agreed, shaking his head. Getting the police involved was the **worst** thing that could happen to him right now.

Yusuke's eyes narrowed as his gaze drifted over them. "Fine… I won't report you. Under one condition."

"Wh-What's that?" Ann asked, swallowing a lump in her throat.

"I want you to continue being my model," Yusuke said, looking directly at Ann with a smile.

"Y-You do? But you said it didn't work out today…"

"That's because I was being unconsciously modest for your sake," Yusuke admitted. The group raised a brow. "However, I no longer have anything to worry about. If you're willing to bare everything to me… I am willing to pour my heart and soul into creating the greatest **nude** painting ever!"

.

.

.

"WHAT?!" Ryuji, Izuku and Makoto blurted out, the green-haired teen's face turning a shade of pink at the mere mention of it.

"N-Nude?!" Ann stammered out, the one word throwing her through a loop.

"Ah, to think that I would be able to create a nude painting with my most ideal model…" Yusuke sang, though it seemed to be an expressed thought more than directed at the others. Catching himself, he cleared his throat before turning to the others. "Of course, you three will not be allowed in and I ask that you forget about our discussion today. I _might_ make an exception for Niijima-san to ease Takamaki-san's worries. That aside, I need to work on this piece soon and submit it to sensei or else there will be… inconveniences."

"N-N-Nude…" Izuku stuttered. His eyes bulged out of their sockets while the film of sweat on his hands and face turned into steam.

"Sn-Snap out of it, Midori!" Makoto said, shaking his shoulders to try and wake him up.

"D-Do you mean nude- **nude**?! As in no clothes **at all?!** H-How did we escalate to that?!" Ann cried in despair.

"Because, those are my terms," Yusuke said, a pleasant smile on his face.

"W-Wait, ain't that bad?!" Ryuji blurted.

"Y-Yes! That's blackmail! Y-You can't just do that, Kitagawa-kun!" Makoto argued, her hands still on Izuku's shoulders as tried to shake him out of his stupor.

"Well, I suppose if you'd rather me report you, I can."

"B-But that's…."

"As I'm sure you'd rather I don't do so, we'll settle on Takamaki-san acting as my nude model," Yusuke said, a smile of anticipation stretching across his face. "Don't worry, sensei spends his afternoon at the exhibit while it's going, so we can use this place freely. I should buy more art supplies."

"W-Will you give me a second here?!"

"Of course, I'm willing to wait. I'll make plans according to your schedule. But please, come before the exhibit ends."

"No, that's not what I mean! Why are you not listening?!"

"Sensei will be returning home soon. We're done for today. Takamaki-san, I'll be waiting for you to contact me."

"No, no, no! We are not done talking here!"

"Hey uh… what should we do?" Ryuji whispered to Makoto and Izuku.

"At this point… I really don't know…" Makoto admitted, her right eye wincing in defeat.

"W-We'll… have to retreat for now…" Izuku managed to sputter out. He'd spontaneously combust if this conversation continued any longer.

"Yeah… damn it, he got us good this time," Ryuji relented.

"N-No! Come on! You guys can't give up that easily!" Ann complained helplessly.

* * *

"He's totally out of his mind! I'm totally going to have to pose nude if this keeps up!"

"C-Calm down, Takamaki-san. I'm sure we can figure a way out of this…" Makoto tried to reassure her.

The team had left the shack and were now loitering around on the nearby sidewalk.

"How dare that Yusuke!" Morgana growled from inside Izuku's bag.

"From the way he was puttin' it, it's not gonna be semi-nude but full on nude, too…" Ryuji grumbled.

"R-Ryuji-senpai… that's not really helping right now…" Izuku reminded him. His face was still red hot, but he somehow managed to remain conscious.

"F-F-Full nudity…? Lady Ann's going to…" Morgana stiffened at the thought.

"Drop it!" Ann snapped.

"You know, you won't have to worry about that so long as we change Madarame's heart before the exhibit ends," said Ryuji. That was enough to get everyone back on track.

"But… Kitagawa-kun thinks he owes his life to him. Is there really a need to do that?" Ann reasoned.

Morgana gasped. "S-So you're okay with baring it all Lady Ann?!"

"I am not!"

"Look, Madarame's no different from Kamoshida. He's just using Yusuke because he's got no parents," Ryuji snarled. "You're tellin' me we should just ignore how he's bein' treated horribly like the other pupils?"

"No… it is frustrating to leave it like this, even if Kitagawa-kun is okay with it himself," Ann sighed, scratching the top of her head.

"Ryuji-senpai is right. Madarame hurt so many people. Now he's abusing the trust Kitagawa-san has in him for his own gain," Izuku's eyes narrowed in thought. "It might seem like we're meddling, but… but maybe that's just what we have to do. His whole future could be taken away with all of his art being put under Madarame's name."

"I agree. Just because Kitagawa-kun doesn't see it that way, he is a victim in this," Makoto said, looking at the others. "We can't just let this go."

"Yeah. Madarame's exactly the kinda guy we've been waitin' for. And maybe, if we can, we can convince Yusuke to come to his senses, too," Ryuji said, resolved in the matter. "Before he becomes a victim like us."

With a resounding agreement from the others, the Thieves broke off for the day and headed home.

* * *

 ***ring ring***

"Come on, your friends can wait a bit. We'll just go over the basics, then I'll let you go."

Izuku couldn't help but give a sheepish laugh, nodding as he was forced to ignore his ringing phone.

After the group had split off and headed home, Izuku was met with a strangely eager Sojiro the moment he stepped foot in Leblanc. After allowing Izuku an hour of rest, Sojiro asked him to join him behind the bar that night, hoping to show him the ropes for working in the cafe.

"Alright, so to start, let's get the most important aspect of your job out of the way: making coffee," Sojiro said, handing Izuku an apron. "Put this on. I doubt we'll do much, but might as well be prepared just in case."

"Okay. So do you want me to try making a cup?" Izuku asked, looking at the steaming beakers on the counter.

"Not yet. While I'm sure coffee making _looks_ easy, I'm pretty particular about what I serve," Sojiro crossed his arms over his chest. "This may not be the busiest shop around, but I certainly take pride in my coffee. That's why I won't have you making anyone coffee until you've gotten the hang of it. You serve a bad cup to anyone and I'll have your ass on a silver platter. Got it?"

"C-Crystal clear!" Izuku quickly nodded, a bead of sweat trailing down his face.

 _I hadn't realized how serious he was about the coffee! I-I suddenly feel really nervous about this!_

Sojiro chuckled. "Oh, come on. Don't get so tense. We haven't even started!"

"I have to say though, Sakura-san definitely does right by his coffee!" The voice came from a middle-aged woman sitting in a booth with a plate of curry and a cup of coffee in front of her. "It goes so well with the curry, I can't help but order the set!"

"A-Ah, I understand that too! I've had the two together a few times now. I never would have thought they'd go so well together before," Izuku smiled at the woman.

"Heh. What can I say? Each meal is tailored to the taste of each person," Sojiro beamed with pride.

"Oh, can you tell me the ingredients, Sakura-san? I'd love to try and cook this up at home," The woman asked hopefully.

"Sorry, but that's a trade secret. But you're welcome to guess from the taste alone," Sojiro apologized with a gentle smile.

This woman let out a playful huff. "Cheapskate. Being so secretive with your recipe even though your food's already stolen my heart…"

"Heh, apologies. Why not end the meal with dessert, though? It's only 300 yen."

"Well… alright. Since I'm already in this deep, I suppose…" the woman said, her voice coy despite her supposed hesitance.

"Coming right up."

Izuku watched Sojiro serve the woman her final dish with awe. Perhaps the woman was a regular customer and this was normal, but Sojiro sure knew how to lay on the charm when he wanted someone back..

"Have a good night, ma'am," Sojiro said, waving as the woman took her leave. Once she was out the door, Sojiro turned back to Izuku as stern as ever. "Here's another thing to remember: when you run a shop, you'll get customers of all sorts. Knowing their personalities is absolutely vital. That's what being in food service is all about."

"G-Got it!"

 _I've gotta write this down in a spare notebook later._

Before Sojiro could continue, the cafe's doorbell chimed as the glass door swung open.

"Welcom-" Sojiro hesitated, Izuku seeing his eyes widen in alarm as he stared at the man in the door. The newcomer was a plump man wearing a black jacket and a navy blue baseball cap that poured shade over his eyes. "You…"

"Why, hello there! It's been quite a while, Sakura-san!" the man said cheerily. "I heard you set up a shop, so here I am! Though it wouldn't have hurt to inform me, you know."

The man wore a plastic smile as he glanced around the shop before looking back at Sojiro. "The location's great. Right next to the station and everything."

"Your order?" Sojiro asked. There was an edge to his voice that Izuku couldn't ignore. The tension in the air was thick enough to choke someone.

"What, no small talk? That's cold," the man laughed it off, grinning as if Sojiro had made a joke. "Oh, but this smell… still making that curry, huh? Still haven't gotten over her, I see…"

"Your order, **sir?** " Sojiro asked again.

" _Her"..?_ Izuku wondered, eyes trailing to Sojiro curiously.

"Haha, so pushy. It's alright though, I just popped in to say hi. I'll be back soon though, don't worry. Bye for now!" The man laughed and waved as he took his leave.

Once the coast was clear, Sojiro breathed a sigh of relief and rubbed the back of his head. "Where the hell'd he catch wind of this place..?"

"Um… is everything alright, Sakura-san?" Izuku couldn't help but ask, concern crossing his face.

"Just fine, don't worry about it," Izuku winced as Sojiro cast his gaze on him. "Sorry about that. Things are… complicated between me and that guy. That's all I'm going to say about it."

"O-Okay… he certainly seemed suspicious enough, so I'll leave it alone," Izuku agreed.

The cafe owner chuckled. "Well, you're not wrong about that. At least you can pick up on that much," Straightening his apron, Sojiro's expression became all-business. "But if you have time to talk, you have time to learn about bean types in coffee. You're not gonna be much use to me if you don't learn the ABC's about making this stuff, got it?"

"Y-Yes sir! I'll do what I can!"

"Heh. That's more like it. Besides, this could be good for you. I'm guessing you have a hard time talking to girls, so maybe this will give you an edge. Girls like a guy who can make a good cup of coffee, after all."

"H-Huh?! You knew I'm bad with girls?!"

"Anyone could have guessed that much. Though I'd say your little talk with the doctor was a dead giveaway," Sojiro chuckled, Izuku paling as he recalled his first meeting with Takemi. "Well, women aside, I'll do my best to hammer this stuff into you. That way I'll be able to kick back and relax while you work."

"I-I'll do my best to learn. Thank you, Sakura-san," Izuku nodded in acceptance. If this is what it took to pay him back, he was willing to do it.

 ***SMASH***

The chains shattered in Izuku's ear, pulling him away from his musings without warning. He couldn't help but sigh when he saw the supposed "level up" of their bond.

Izuku still felt a smile spread across his lips. What was once a shaky relationship was beginning to evolve into something more.

* * *

"Boss certainly didn't miss a beat when teaching you, huh?" Morgana chuckled, watching as Izuku plopped onto his bed next to him.

"Yeah. He was really strict about the beans, too. I hadn't realized just how many different flavors and types of coffee there was. It really is a world of its own…" Izuku sighed, leaning forward on his knees tiredly.

 ***ring ring***

"Sounds like you don't get to rest yet."

"I guess not. They were texting in the chat for a while, too. Sakura-san almost tossed my phone away," Izuku laughed humorlessly, as he thought back to the barista's threat.

Entering his passcode, Izuku glanced through the messages to see that the others had been chatting for quite a while.

 _Koto-san: Just checking in to make sure that my invite to the group chat worked._

 _Ryuji: All good!_

 _Ann: Same here!_

 _Koto-san: Strange. Where's Midori?_

 _Ryuji: Usually he answers. Must be busy or sleepin'._

 _Ann: We had a long day already. I hope he's not pushing himself too hard after all that._

 _Koto-san: Indeed. Though that does seem to be a problem of his._

Izuku couldn't help but laugh sheepishly. It was kind of funny to see that they were talking about him while he wasn't there.

 _Koto-san: Setting aside Midori's knack for overworking, I just want to say thank you all again for having me as part of the team. I'll do my best to keep from holding you all back._

 _Ryuji: Don't sweat it! We're happy to have you!_

 _Ann: That's right! The more help we can get, the better. We're counting on you, Niijima-senpai!_

 _Koto-san: And I'll be counting on all of you._

Izuku was happy to see that Makoto was getting along with the others. But that thought was shoved aside when he read Ryuji's latest messages.

 _Ryuji: So get this, there's a rumor goin' around about one of Madarame's past pupils. Apparently they, offed themselves after not bein' able to speak up about what Madarame stealing his work._

Images of Shiho flashed before Izuku's eyes. He quickly shook his head and started punching his keyboard with his thumbs.

 _Izuku: What?! That's terrible!  
_

 _Ryuji: There you are! But yeah, I thought the same. I ain't sure if it's completely true, though._

 _Ann: I hope it's not. But some of the rumors I've seen online really don't help…_

 _Koto-san: We should do a bit more digging to verify such claims. That is a very hefty accusation._

 _Ryuji: Ain't any news articles or anything on it… I bet it was covered up._

Izuku had to give that some thought. Suicides were not uncommon in Japan and if what Nakanohara said was true, then it wasn't impossible to say that cutting him off completely would keep his death from linking back to Madarame in the first place.

 _Izuku: It's not impossible… Madarame wouldn't have to do much to keep it from getting out._

 _Ann: I wonder if Kitagawa-kun knows anything about it…_

 _Ann: It'd be great if he can help us out._

 _Ryuji: Ain't that askin' a bit much?_

 _Ryuji: He's gonna be pretty on edge with us after today._

Izuku couldn't disagree with Ryuji there.

 _Ryuji: Well, anyway, Madarame's still a piece of crap!_

 _Ryuji: Let's meet up tomorrow on the school rooftop like usual!_

 _Koto-san: Actually, I'd advise against us meeting up there._

 _Koto-san: Plenty of students know it's your hangout. And since I'm still pretending to seek you all out for Kobayakawa, it wouldn't be wise for me to constantly meet you all up there either._

Izuku hadn't thought about that. It had actually been some time since they met on the roof after the Kamoshida incident. But they couldn't risk getting caught.

 _Ryuji: Crap. Guess we're gonna have to move the hideout then._

"Considering our line of work, I think it'd be wise for us to constantly move our hideout, anyway. It would be suspicious to meet in the same place too much, after all," Morgana said as he looked over the messages.

"Where should we move it to, though… oh!" Izuku snapped his fingers before beginning to type.

 _Izuku: Morgana-san said that we should keep our hideout moving, anyway. So for now, let's meet up on Shibuya's upper floor. We have to take the train over to Madarame's anyway._

 _Ann: Oh, t good idea! From there we can just jump into his Palace whenever we need to!_

 _Koto-san: I agree. It should make for a good temporary spot._

 _Ryuji: Alright then! After school at the station hall then. See you guys there!_

 _Ann: See you guys tomorrow._

 _Koto-san: Same. Good night, everyone._

 _Izuku: Good night._

Izuku locked his phone up and sighed before looking down at Morgana. "Well, I think that's enough for tonight. I'm going to be-

 ***RING RING***

Izuku blinked when he heard his phone chime this time, indicating a call rather than a text. Holding it up, he looked to see Mishima's name across the front. Letting his surprise pass, Izuku quickly answered.

"Hello? Mishima-senpai?"

" _Yo! Sorry to disturb you, but I figured this was something I should tell you over the phone instead of text."_

"It's fine. Is something wrong?" Izuku asked, scooting further back into his bed and pulling the blankets up.

" _Not really wrong, but definitely interesting. You know that target that the Thieves took down not too long ago for a change of heart? Well, he actually contacted Shiho and me on the Phan-site."_

Izuku raised a brow, holding his phone out and putting it on speaker for Morgana to hear. "I-I see. What did he want?"

" _He actually wanted to make a request to change someone else's heart, too. But the problem is that he feels if he posts it on the Phan-site, it'll bring him some trouble. Instead, he wanted to see if he could meet with y-I mean the Phantom Thieves to go over the details personally."_

"I-I see…" Izuku and Morgana shared a knowing look. "But just so we're clear, Mishima-senpai, what's his name?"

" _His name is Nakanohara. Apparently, his target is a really terrible person."_

* * *

Nakanohara's throat clenched as he took careful, measured sips from a cup of bargain bin coffee. It had the taste and consistency of battery acid, but it was all he could afford. His eyes twitched left and right, looking for the contact provided by the Phantom Thief Aficionado Website's administrator. They hadn't given him any specific details, only instructing him to wait for them inside Shibuya station.

Nakanohara had no doubt that anyone who saw him might have suspected some sort of shady business. Considering who he was meeting with, he supposed that wouldn't be incorrect. He shifted in place. He felt exposed standing here by himself on Shibuya's ground floor.

"Natsuhiko Nakanohara?"

The office worker jumped when he heard a quiet voice whisper his name. He gazed around but didn't see anyone was addressing him. He began to creep toward the corner.

"D-Don't move. We can talk like this."

The voice sounded male, but it was young and seemed just as nervous as he was. Couldn't belong to anything older than a high schooler. Still, Nakanohara obeyed, gluing his back against the wall and not daring to look back

"Um… o-okay. Are you the one I'm supposed to meet?"

"Yes. You wanted to request a change of heart in someone?"

"Y-Yes, that's right. I'm sure you've heard the name before," Nakanohara swallowed the lump in his throat. "The man I'd like you to target is the traditional Japanese artist, Ichiryusai Madarame."

Nakanohara waited for some sort of answer, but heard no response.

Unsure, he continued. "I was… once one of his pupils. I was given lodging at his home, where I only thought about art. I truly had a passion for it. I was a student alongside another who was my senior by several years. Our sensei kept tabs on him. Of course, Madarame claimed all of our works as his own."

Nakanohara took a deep breath.

"Eventually, it was all… just too much for my senior to take. In the end, he… committed suicide."

Nakanohara heard the smallest gasp. It relieved him to hear his words did not fall on deaf ears .

"I'm sure he couldn't bear to watch his work praised under Madarame's name. We all felt the same, but… I suppose it was more than he could handle. After that happened, I finally decided to quit my time under Madarame and leave his atelier for good. He tried to beg me to stay, but after I refused, he reached out to the rest of the art world. As such, my life as a painter was destroyed."

Nakanohara pushed up his glasses as he rubbed his eyes tiredly. "I tried to just move on and get a fresh start working as an office clerk… but it was no use. In the end, I became resentful and possessive, even stalking my ex-girlfriend after breaking up. I was… a mess, to say the least. So again, I ask, please, will you change Madarame's heart? Not only for me, but… but to also save the life of another."

"Another? I-Is someone else in danger?" His contact asked, the voice softer this time.

"Yes. Madarame's only remaining pupil. Despite everything, that boy is still there. He's young, still in high school actually. He's incredibly talented, but he also owes a lot to Madarame for taking him in as a child after his mother passed. He is the perfect target."

His fingers dug into the cup in his hand.

"I actually spoke with him a few times back when I was still under Madarame. I asked him if it was painful to stay under Madarame as he was. You know what he told me? 'If I could leave this place, I would.'" Nakanohara hesitated for a moment before continuing, "I… I don't have the right to request this after my own cowardice stopped me… but please… I don't want to see another suicide!"

His voice rose as years of desperation and longing bubbled to the surface. "I want to save this young man and… this seems like the only way left. He has such a bright future ahead of him…. So please… please stop Madarame!"

Nakanohara turned the corner and bowed until his head nearly touched the floor.

"I… I promise we will."

Nakanohara felt relief fill him, smiling as he looked up to thank the young man. But as he lifted his head, he thought he caught the slightest glimpse of green hair disappear behind a stall.

* * *

Izuku wheezed as he hunched over his knees amidst his friends. "Th-That was… a lot harder than I thought…"

"If you hadn't waited around to say that last thing to him, you probably wouldn't have had to run," said Morgana, who was leaning on his shoulder.

"W-Well, I didn't want to leave him without an answer," Izuku placed a hand on his chest. "Still, that was really nerve-racking. I just felt like we looked really suspicious…"

"The way you guys were talkin' around the corner _was_ suspicious dude," Ryuji said with a grin.

"I'd say you performed your task well, Midori," said Makoto. "You got the information we needed."

"So, everyone on the same page?" Ryuji asked, looking at the others from his spot on the ground.

"I'm on board. Let's do this," Ann's eyes burned furiously. "There's no way I'd let something like suicide happen. Not on my watch. And now, we know exactly how Kitagawa-kun feels."

"Whatever doubts we might have had before, they're gone now," Makoto gave a determined nod. "I'm ready to do this if you guys are."

"I am. There's no more room for second-guessing. We'll put a stop to Madarame," Izuku declared, his gaze steely as he thought of Nakanohara's heartfelt pleas.

"Hell yeah! Madarame's nothin' but a piece of shit preyin' on the weak!" Ryuji exclaimed.

"Alright, leader. It's your call," Morgana said, a feline smile spreading across his lips as he looked at Izuku. "What's our next move?"

"Let's stock up on anything we need for the heist. Tomorrow, I want to head to the Palace. Let's stop Madarame and save Kitagawa-san!"

 **To be continued…**

 **Great work as usual goes to my beta reppuzan who, despite his busy schedule, was still able to put some hard work in on the chapter :)**

 **Ahhhh it's good to be back. Took quite a bit to get back into the groove of things after having that problem with my internet. Thankfully, I think it's safe to say I'm back on track. Which should mean up to 1 to 2 chapters a month. Here's hoping things stay that way :)**

 **Onto the chapter, there was actually something about this arc that was driving me crazy and that was how long it took for the group to decide that Madarame was going to be their target. I get that Yusuke's the hold out when it comes to Madarame and what he's done, but considering his previous victims, it should have been an easy decision once Yusuke made it clear that the plagiarism was real. Still, thankfully, all of that is behind us now. I was thankfully able to hammer out the last bits of it this chapter, and now we can finally dive right into the Palace!**

 **Another thing I have to thank my beta for is the fact that he pointed out the difference between the game and the anime's meeting with Nakanohara, in which the anime actually handled it better so I decided to rewrite the last part based on that lol**

 **Anyways, that's the end of this chapter, sorry for the long wait you were all subjected to. Just a heads up though, the UA Hang out snippet will be moved to the TCBH side stories from here on! So if you go to look for it, don't worry, it's not gone.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: I own neither My Hero Academia nor the Persona series**

Chapter 24

 **(Persona 5 OST: Hymn of the Soul)**

"Welcome back, Trickster. I see your rehabilitation has been going well. Have you grown accustomed to infiltrating Palaces?"

"Y-Yes, I think so…" said Izuku, brow furrowing. "In fact, that's why I'm here. I want to prepare for the next infiltration our team plans to make."

"Good. As you are, you have yet to obtain a truly acceptable number of Personas. You are not utilizing the full potential of the wild card." said Igor, fingers linking in front of him. "But your timing is impeccable. This is the perfect opportunity to further your rehabilitation with a test of strength."

"A test?" Izuku repeated in wonder. "What exactly do I have to do?"

"You will bring us the Personas we specify," Justine spoke up, bringing his attention to the twins.

"You just gotta show us the Persona we ask for! Easy, right?" Caroline added.

"For your first assignment, we wish for you to bring us a Jack Frost," Justine began.

"Come on, don't start it off that easy! It should be a challenge." Caroline cut in, tapping her baton lightly on her shoulder. "Hm… Okay, I want you to bring us a Jack Frost with the ability Mabufu! Got that inmate?"

"I agree. Please bring us the specified Persona, inmate," said Justine.

"J-Jack Frost with Mabufu. Got it," Izuku repeated, quickly nodding.

"This task is not mandatory. Regardless, if you fulfill it, you will be rewarded handsomely," said Igor.

"I-I see. Okay, then. Can I see the compendium then?" Izuku asked.

"Oh, planning to get a head start on it now? Good! Let's take a look," Caroline smiled before handing over the book to Izuku. The green-haired teen poured through the pages, rubbing his chin as he looked at the possible fusions he could make.

"Darn it… it doesn't look like I can make it right now… I'll have to check again once I get more Personas."

"Do remember that you may also summon Personas you've previously owned," Justine reminded him.

Izuku's eyes shot up from the compendium. "I-I can?!"

Caroline rolled her eyes. "Duh. Pay attention, would you prisoner? I'm pretty sure we told you that last time."

"Did you? I… I don't remember…"

"How dense can you be, inmate?!"

"Actually, we may have left that out, Caroline," Justine said, the smugness vanishing from her twin's face. "We brought up other rituals, but not the ability to summon his previous Personas."

"W-What?! No way! I could have sworn we… when he was… I mean…" Caroline's cheeks turned a rosy pink. She ground her teeth together and flashed a deadly glare at Izuku. "S-Shut up, inmate!"

"I-I didn't say anything!"

"Back on task, yes? Further in the compendium is a list of all of your previous Personas as well as the cost for bringing them back," Justine continued.

"'Cost'?" He turned the pages to find the list, quickly coming upon a list of every Persona currently in his possession as well as the two he dismissed for the fusion, Pixie and Bicorn. Next to their names were set prices of yen. "W-Wait, I have to pay real money to get them back?"

Caroline's predatory smirk returned. "We can't just give you your Personas for free, inmate. So we thought we'd take a bit of that money you gather up while going through the Palaces."

"But… what will you guys do with the money?"

"Does it matter? It's purely to make this an equivalent exchange! Get that into your thick skull!" Caroline snapped, smacking the dark iron bars of Izuku's cell with her baton.

 _I guess I shouldn't have expected to be given everything..._ Izuku sighed, opening the compendium back up to look through the names. To his relief, summoning his older Personas wasn't expensive, and he still had some money to burn.

"I'll take… both of them back."

"Done," Justine said, a faint blue light shining around the book. "You will now be able to summon either or use them for fusion."

"That was quick. What about-"

"We've already taken money from your wallet, inmate. Don't worry," Caroline giggled, causing Izuku to blanch.

"O-Oh, okay then…" Izuku flipped through the pages as he mulled over the possibilities. "Hm… I still can't make Jack Frost, but maybe… maybe if I fuse some more Personas, I will end up with something that can make it. I'd hate to do that to them, but I can always summon them back. I have to be careful not to make any unnecessary sacrifices because I don't have unlimited income and I still have to buy medicine…"

"Uh… inmate..?"

"-Well, maybe I'll just play it by ear, fuse one pair together and see the result of it. I shouldn't fuse too many at once without checking what they could possibly make after that. If I play this right, I can give up some Personas and only summon back ones like Carter. Yeah, that should work. Maybe I should also-"

"INMATE!"

Izuku jumped, dropping the book and clamping his hands over his mouth. His eyes darted between the twins. Caroline was grimacing at him with disgust while Justine merely had a brow raised curiously.

"All that mumbling was creepy! What the heck was that?!"

"O-Oh, sorry… I uh… tend to do that sometimes…" Izuku laughed sheepishly, cheeks heating up in embarrassment.

"I knew you were a peculiar one, inmate. Though I suppose I hadn't realized how much," Justine said, leaving her impression vague enough to make Izuku deflate.

"S-Sorry… but uh… I think I'm ready to make my fusions…"

* * *

" **Hee-ho~!** "

Jack Frost hovered before Justine and Caroline, the twins staring at it with some wonder before looking back at Izuku.

"It didn't have Mabufu at first, so I was afraid that it wouldn't have all the requirements. Thankfully, the links of the Personas I fused together were strong enough to grant him more power." Izuku's shoulders sagged in relief.

He had sacrificed Carter and Silky to make Succubus (which had made him a nervous wreck), thankful that he could fuse her with Pixie to make Jack Frost. His small bet ended up paying off, providing him with a strong Persona without having to get rid of more than necessary.

"I'll also summon Carter and Succubus back. Since I gave up Jack-o-Lantern, it would be smart to get her back for her fire abilities. Plus, overall, she's stronger than it was," Izuku said, looking through the compendium at their prices. "Good, they're not too much either. I definitely wanted to make sure I got Carter back, at least."

"U-Um… okay," Caroline muttered, tapping the book and making it illuminate blue.

"So, does Jack Frost need anything else?"

"No… I guess that we'll take it." Caroline muttered, looking back at the Persona with a small amount of disbelief.

"Well done making the Persona so quickly, inmate. You've surpassed our expectations," Justine congratulated him.

"B-But don't get cocky! Your Personas are still super weak," Caroline spat when he saw his eyes begin to glitter. She cast her gaze away from him. She was trying to hide it from him, but Izuku could swear she was smiling. "Still… I suppose you deserve _some_ praise for finishing your penal labor in a timely manner."

"Yes. To further promote your growth, we shall allow you the use of a new facility," Justine declared, surprising Izuku and Caroline with a small smile.

"O-Oh, that's great! Thank you!" Izuku said, grateful to know that his effort (and yen) yielded results.

"Whoa, Justine. It's rare to see you smile," Caroline said.

Justine's smile turned into a wry smirk. "What about you, Caroline? You are the smiling one. Did something happen to make you joyful?"

"M-Me?" Caroline blurted She spared a glance at Izuku, who was still sitting cross-legged on the floor with a bemused look on his face. Caroline gripped her baton tighter. "What are you looking at, inmate?! Are you laughing at us?!"

He frantically waved his arms in the air. "Wh-What?! No, I swear! I-I'm not!".

"I certainly hope not. As wardens, we simply feel satisfaction in seeing your rehabilitation progress. That is the extent of it." Justine declared, her single eye narrowing at Izuku dangerously. "If you were to find that amusing, it would be most upsetting."

"I-I don't, I promise!" Izuku crossed his arms in front of him as sweat rolled down his cheek. He shrank more and more as the twins stared at him intently for what felt like a small eternity.

"Very well. You seem genuine in stating so," Justine conceded, earning a relieved sigh from Izuku.

"Still, I can't tell if you're gutsy or a spineless wimp…" Caroline added, crossing her arms. "You've made it through one Palace already, but… seeing you like this makes me think it was just dumb luck."

Izuku hunched over in embarrassment. "S-Sorry…"

"Moving on, we will give you the promised facility. And if you have the will to continue your penal labor, we will grant you even greater freedom in this prison." Justine continued on, bringing Izuku's attention back up. "This is a deal between us, the wardens, and you, the inmate."

"Not that you have the right to turn it down though! Hard work is what you're meant to do, inmate!"

"R-Right. I look forward to working with you both…"

 ***SMASH***

 **I am thou, thou art I**

 **Thou hast acquired a new vow.**

 **It shall become the wings of rebellion**

 **That breaketh thy chains of captivity.**

 **With the birth of the Strength Persona,**

 **I have obtained the winds of Blessing**

 **that shall lead to freedom and new power…**

Izuku wasn't surprised to see the new bond form. Justine had made it rather clear with her wording.

"Now, inmate. Onto your next task," Justine began, flipping through a notepad she held. "You are to bring us Shiisa with the ability Frei. When you have it, speak with us again."

"Since you seem so good at it, get to it! Stop wasting time," Caroline huffed, placing her hands on her hips.

"Understood. Once I've gathered more Personas, I'll be sure to look out for it," Izuku nodded, standing up from his seat on the ground. "I'll be going now. I've got a few other things to do before today's over… but…"

The twins took a step back when Izuku turned back around and gave them a deep bow.

"I know it's your job, but… thank you for your help. Knowing I can keep growing stronger with my Personas and my friends… it's really important to me." Izuku straightened out and beamed at them both. "Thank you."

Caroline and Justine gawked at him for a moment before the more rowdy of the two scowled at him even with the faint blush on her cheeks.

"W-Whatever, inmate! Your gratitude isn't necessary! I-If you're done here, just get out!" she exclaimed. Izuku rubbed his head sheepishly as he turned to leave again.

"R-Right. Well then, I guess I'll see you later…" He muttered before his body faded out of the room.

"I-I swear, the nerve of that guy…" Caroline grumbled, crossing her arms and tapping her foot anxiously.

"It seems to me that you were quite pleased to hear him say that, Caroline."

"Sh-Shut up, no I wasn't! Y-You're one to talk!"

"Perhaps…"

* * *

 **(Persona 5 OST: Butterfly Kiss)**

"You're certainly buying a lot today."

"Y-Yeah, I've got a few things in school coming up. I want to be as prepared as possible." Izuku put on a nervous smile. He was sitting in Takemi's office, the doctor sitting cross-legged in a desk chair across from him.

"I see. Well, it's none of my business. But since you're here, why don't we do a clinical trial?" Takemi suggested, offering a thin smile as she leaned back in her chair. "I've made a few adjustments to the medicine from last time."

"Wh-What?! R-Right now?!" He paled. His stomach churned at the thought of his first experience alone. "M-M-Maybe next time… I don't want to feel like that right before my exams…"

"Well, if you say so," Takemi shrugged, spinning her chair back to her desk. "Then I suppose you can go without the medicine until you're ready."

"Wh-What?!"

"Heh. Sorry, kid. I'm a little eager to try out this medicine and would like to test it as soon as possible, and I need my special guinea pig to do that," Takemi explained, giving him a side glance with a devious smirk. "So, what's it going to be?"

Izuku slumped over in his chair. The doctor had him right where she wanted him. It had been some time since he came in for an actual clinical trial. He'd mainly done menial work on his last few visits while she worked out the kinks in her drug.

Izuku gingerly nodded. "Okay… let's do it."

"Good boy~. Keep this up and I'll give you a lollipop when we're done." Takemi got up and grabbed a full beaker from a nearby medical stand and held it out to him. "Don't worry, your reaction to the drugs won't be quite as strong as last time. As I said, I've made various adjustments."

Izuku's hands trembled as he slowly took the cup from her. He stared at the viscous blue liquid sloshing around inside with hesitation.

Takemi eyed him expectantly. "Just drink it down in one gulp. You'll be fine."

The green-haired teen took a deep breath before taking one long swig of the medicine. The slimy concoction was many times more bitter than Sojiro's darkest espresso as it crept down his throat. He tried to get it down as fast as he could, but the taste infested every corner of his mouth. His lips puckered as a strangely citrus and metallic aftertaste replaced it.

 _I-It's so sour and bitter at the same time… and whatever it is, it's filling my nose with that horrible smell!_

Whatever was in it hit Izuku like a brick. His head spun and his stomach clenched as though he'd ridden one too many roller coasters. Unable to take it, Izuku let his body fall to the side in the bed. His vision swam and blurred before he finally blacked out.

* * *

Izuku woke with a groan, his nausea slowly subsiding.

"Oh good, you're waking up. You should be proud, you didn't black out nearly as long this time," said Takemi. She was writing notes on a clipboard with her back to him. "Your reaction to the drug was absolutely perfect. Do you still feel a bit dazed? I mixed in a few… special components."

"You… wanted that reaction?" Izuku asked groggily. He struggled to push himself up to a sitting position.

"That's right. Otherwise, the medicine wasn't potent enough for what I'm attempting." Takemi spun around in her chair, leaning forward on her knees. "Okay, take your shirt off. I need to take your blood pressure and temperature. I'll also have to draw some blood."

Those last two sentences woke Izuku up immediately. "A-All that?!"

"Come on, you're past the worst of it. I'd ask to perform some motor skills tests, but I doubt that you're up to the task right now," Takemi said, waiting for him patiently. Izuku groaned, moving to pull his shirt off.

"So you **are** here."

Izuku and Takemi looked up to see a police officer walked inside. Izuku's jaw clenched. Was the officer here for Takemi or him? Somewhat thankfully, his attention seemed to be focused on the doctor.

"I'm in the middle of an examination, officer." said Takemi, her expression weary. "And as I've told you before, you need to show me a warrant if you want to investigate me."

"Hmph! I'm here because we received a report." The officer puffed his chest out as if he thought it made him look tougher. "I'll need to see a detailed record of medical expenses and full medical records. I bet you didn't have enough time to hide any incriminating documents, huh?"

Izuku looked at Takemi with worry, but she didn't look impressed in the slightest.

"... Must be under orders from the Medical Chief of Staff," She sighed, sparing a look at her nails before motioning to a page posted on her computer. "Alright, here you go."

"Huh?" the officer grunted, peering down at the screen in confusion.

"This kid is my only patient today. I'm guessing that you were sent here based on an improper billing claim?" Takemi asked, the cop giving himself away as he tensed. "But without a receipt, I'm afraid you've been sent on a wild goose chase."

"Wh-What's going on here?"

"You're being manipulated," she said bluntly. "That 'report' is fictitious."

"Wh-What?!" The officer blurted, looking completely dumbfounded and embarrassed. His eyes finally shifted to Izuku, looking for one last escape from the humiliation. "H-Hey, you! What are you doing here?!"

"M-Me?! I-I'm just here for a migraine!" Izuku lied far faster than he ever thought he could.

 _I could get into so much trouble!_

"A-A migraine?" The officer repeated, floundering where he stood.

"That's right. He's stressing over his school activities, so I'm giving him some medication to help him relax." A mocking smile crossed her features. As the officer looked to the side in embarrassment, she sent Izuku a wink in appreciation. "So, is there anything else? As you can see, I'm pretty busy here."

"Hmph… fine," The officer conceded, crossing his arms and pouting like a schoolboy. "You're infuriating, you know that? But what else can I expect from the 'Plague'."

Izuku's jaw fell a little as Takemi went silent. But the officer didn't push his luck any further, turning tail to leave. The two waited for the familiar tone of the closing elevator doors to breathe again.

"I'm so over this…" Takemi said with a sigh.

"That… didn't seem good at all," Izuku said, looking at the doctor with concern. He wanted to push the subject but knew better than to invade her privacy. Takemi would shut him down in a heartbeat. "Are… you okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine. I'm just tired of this game they keep playing." Takemi shot him an appreciative smile. "Thanks. And not just for asking, but for helping make him look stupid."

"O-Oh, right… I just-didn't want to get you in trouble," Izuku said, rubbing the back of his head awkwardly. "I… I've dealt with cops like that before."

"I see. One mystery after another with you, huh?" she chuckled. "Not that I'm much better. It was likely just my former superior. You know, the one you saw when you eavesdropped on us?" Izuku winced at the mention of his blunder. "Well, it's nothing to be concerned about. Now, back to what we were doing."

"W-We're still taking tests?"

"I'll just draw some blood for now and send you off. You might feel anemic and light-headed, but you'll be fine as long as you drink plenty of fluids," Takemi smiled, though it did nothing to console him.

"It's not like I wasn't expecting this, I guess…" he mumbled. He stuck his arm out and rolled up his sleeve.

"Good to see you're behaving like a proper guinea pig," Takemi teased, holding his arm up and inspecting it. "Don't worry, once we're done here, I'll give you the medicine as promised. I'll even toss in a bit extra for the help today."

"Okay, then… thank you." Izuku smiled. Even though he was kind of forced into the clinical trial, Izuku felt some trust growing between them after today.

 ***SMASH***

 **Death Confidant: RANK TWO**

"Alright, since you're a healthy boy, I think I'll draw a bit of extra blood."

"Eh?!"

"Fufu, only kidding. Relax."

* * *

( **Persona 5 OST: A Woman)**

"Do we have everything we need?" Izuku asked, standing in front of his team. After spending the previous day preparing, the Thieves were quick to jump into Madarame's Palace after school.

"Yup! Ann and I got us a buncha sports drinks and snacks for when we make a rest stop," Ryuji confirmed with a grin.

"Great. I got a bunch of medicine and made a couple of thermoses full of coffee last night," Izuku explained, smiling at his teammates.

"Where did you get this kind of medicine from?" Makoto asked, looking at the packs of medicine stuffed away in a shoulder bag. In place of her Shujin uniform, Makoto had donned a slim black hoodie, a pair of leggings and tennis shoes. A black bandana with eye holes cut out completed the makeshift disguise.

"T-That's not important right now…" Izuku nervously laughed, earning him a suspicious glance from his childhood friend. "A-Anyways, I think that's everything. We should be fully prepared to infiltrate the Palace. Koto-san, one last time. Are you really ready for this? This won't be like last time. We're sure to run into trouble from here on."

"Of course. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't," Makoto nodded. "I won't hold you guys back. I promise."

"Well, you certainly look the part now," Ann smiled, touching her chin with a thoughtful expression. "Still, if we're going to be entering the Palace with her, shouldn't we make up a codename?"

"Oh, right. I remember you all referring to each other with different names last time."

"Correct. As phantom thieves, we shouldn't be throwing our real names around so carelessly. Especially while infiltrating a Palace. We don't know what kind of effect it would have on the ruler's cognition," Morgana explained, placing his paws on his hips. "I'm Mona, Ryuji is Skull, Lady Ann is Panther, and Izuku is Hero."

"Oh, Hero, huh?" Makoto smiled at Izuku, the green-haired teen laughing sheepishly. "Are you sure you didn't want to go with something like 'All Might Jr.' or 'Super All Might'?"

"Huh?" Morgana, Ryuji and Ann blurted in confusion.

"K-K-Koto-san!" Izuku cried out in desperation, waving his arms in panic.

"I'm only teasing, don't worry," she replied through barely stifled laughter. She cupped her chin in thought once she calmed down. "A code name, huh? Let me think…"

"It's kinda hard since she doesn't have a Thief outfit yet," Ryuji pointed out, scratching the top of his head.

"Well, if you consider her Quirk and all… maybe something like… Sponge?" Ann offered hopefully.

"I… don't feel so good about that one," Makoto said with a hesitant laugh.

"Well… your old hero name is a bit long, but…" Izuku trailed off before smiling. "What about Queen?"

"Queen?" Makoto repeated, a small smile spreading across her lips.

"Huh. That's not bad. Though you wouldn't guess that from her outfit," Ryuji chuckled.

"I think that's a good one! How'd you think of that?" Ann asked curiously.

"W-Well, we used to make up hero names all the time and…" Izuku started, only for Makoto to place a hand on his shoulder and laugh awkwardly.

"I-I think that's enough information, don't you?" Makoto cleared her throat before looking at the others. "I think Queen is perfect, though."

"Alright then. From now on, you'll be called Queen during infiltrations," Morgana nodded. "So, any more questions before we enter the Palace?"

"Oh, I got one! Why are we already in our Phantom Thief gear if we haven't seen the Palace ruler yet?" Ryuji asked.

"Very good question, Ryuji. You're paying attention," Morgana smiled at the faux blond. "My guess would be that it's because Madarame doesn't trust anyone, so he's constantly on guard."

"That makes sense. He's famous, so if he lets his guard down, he might get exposed by the paparazzi," Izuku nodded.

"Or maybe he's just super salty about all those rumors going around about him?" said Ann.

"Either way, we need to proceed with caution. We shouldn't needlessly increase the security level as it will only make obtaining the treasure more difficult. Especially with our new recruit here," Morgana said before turning to Makoto. "Hopefully, you'll be able to awaken a Persona in the midst of all this. I'm sure your Quirk can hold up well enough on its own, but I think I speak for everyone when I say that we'd feel better if you had one."

"Hopefully it won't hold me back too much," Makoto replied. "But I definitely won't let it stop me."

"Alright. If that's everything, let's move. We've at least got a good point of entry, so let's begin the infiltration from there," Izuku said, earning nods of agreement from the others. With that, the five of them moved forward, jumping along the wall before entering the Museum's premises. Shadows were still scouring the courtyard, but none of them noticed the Phantom Thieves as they hopped across the statues overhead.

Dropping through the skylight, Izuku quickly scanned the premises with his Third Eye active for guards lurking in the shadows. He stopped as he saw red beams of light stretching across the doorway.

"Hold up," Izuku told the others as they landed next to him. "It looks like security increased a bit since we last came in. I can see infrared lasers from the security systems around the door."

"What?! Why are they on now?! Does he know we came in?" Ryuji asked, looking at Morgana.

"No. Kitagawa must have told him about what happened yesterday. He's probably becoming more wary of people now that he knows," Morgana explained, eyes narrowing at the door. "Well, with your skill Hero, we should be able to deal with the lasers just fine."

"Right. Stay close, okay?" The laser closest to the floor was inactive. Seeing this, Izuku slid under the top two, waving for the others to proceed in the same way. Looking around the portrait exhibit, Izuku swallowed a lump in his throat.

"Careful. All the lasers are on in here. Follow my lead closely."

"Got it," they answered, the four staying close behind as he kept his Third Eye active. He paused when he heard faint footsteps just on the other side of the center walls. He raised a finger to his lips as he peeked around the corner. A lone Shadow was patrolling the hall with its back to him. Izuku moved back, looking at the others, specifically Makoto.

"There's a Shadow there. We'll have to take it out to move forward. Are you ready?" Izuku asked, the others looking at her as well. The brunette took a deep breath before reaching a hand out to a nearby security system. She touched the metal, her fist and face shifted into stainless steel.

"I'm ready. Let's go."

Izuku nodded back, peeking around the corner again to confirm that it still had its back to them. Izuku sprung onto its shoulders before ripping its mask off, leaping back as the black ooze fell to the ground and coalesced into Shadows they hadn't seen before. The Shadows resembled misshapen, expressionless green dolls with cylindrical heads and a white loincloth wrapped around their wastes. They each had beady white eyes and a yellow boomerang clutched in nonexistent fingers.

 **(Persona 5 OST: Last Surprise)**

"Skull, Panther! Hit em' hard!" Izuku ordered, both teammates acting on his order and removing their masks. Makoto gaped in awe as Carmen and Captain Kidd appeared in a burst of blue flame.

"Dance, Carmen!"

"Tear 'em apart, Captain Kidd!"

Fire and electricity flew through the air, the Shadows recoiling back from the attacks. The fire did visible damage to one of them as it reeled back, but the one hit by Kidd's attack was almost totally unfazed.

"These guys are resistant to electric damage! Proceed with caution!" Morgana announced. "Fire hurts them, but it's not super effective!"

"Got it! Mona, hit one of them with wind!" Izuku reached up and peeling his own mask off. "Jack Frost!"

" **Hee-ho**!" The snowman Persona cheered, hopping in place before unleashing a blast of ice. As he prepared to strike it, the Shadow released a strange haze from its body that surrounded Ryuji before being forced back by Izuku's attack.

"A-Ah, crap!" Ryuji cried out in fear, the haze suddenly making him dizzy. He fell to one knee as the world turned upside down for him.

"Skull!" Ann cried, kneeling at his side as she and Makoto rushed to his aid.

"C-Crap, I'm seein' double…"

"Zorro, show them your might!" Morgana cried out, his Persona materializing before blasting a torrent of wind forward. He bore down on the Shadow that resisted Ryuji's attack, but the doll flew backwards this time and didn't move from its spot on the ground.

"Are you okay?" Makoto asked, looking back at Ryuji in worry.

"Y-Yeah… just gimme a second…" Ryuji mumbled, a hand on the side of his head as he tried to steady himself.

"Alright, cover him Taka-Panther! I'll work on this one!" Makoto said, dashing forward at the Shadow.

"W-Wait, Queen! Be careful!" Ann cried out in concern. Izuku grit his teeth, unable to shake his apprehension at the sight.

Makoto balled her fists as she approached, watching the Persona's body movement carefully. To her surprise, it moved faster than she thought something of that size and shape could, the Shadow moving to clash with her.

 _Remember what sensei taught you… anticipate your enemies movements…_

Makoto watched as the Shadow reared its left arm back. She kicked off the ground as her opponent clumsily swung its stubby arm at her, launching herself into the air and narrowly avoiding a direct hit.

" **HIYAH!** " She slammed a metal fist down into its head. The blow staggered the Shadow as she fell to the opposite side.

She landed on her feet, preparing to crack it with another blow. To her shock, the Shadow was already bringing its other arm back. She winced as she put her guard up. Her body was still made of metal, so the blow was more surprising than painful. Still, it was strong enough to throw her to the floor, gritting her teeth as she looked up at the Shadow preparing to club its arm down on her.

"Bufu!"

Before the Shadow could land another blow, it cried out in pain as ice burst across its back, melting back into black ooze. Makoto lifted her head to see Izuku standing close by with his Persona in front of him. Izuku released a nervous breath, quickly jogging over to Makoto and kneeling beside her.

"Are you okay?" He extended a hand out to help her up. Makoto blinked, gaining her bearings back for a moment before slowly nodding.

"Y-Yeah. Thanks for the save there," She said, taking his hand and pulling herself up.

"Thank goodness. I saw that your Quirk was still active, but I wanted to be sure." Izuku sighed in relief before looking at Ann and Ryuji. "Are you alright, Skull?"

"Yeah, I'm all good. It didn't really hurt me, just made me kinda dizzy. It was obnoxious though, that's for sure."

"We're all good here. I finished off the other Shadow," Morgana announced, skipping over to the others. "Something to note is that those ones are weak to wind abilities. I'll be sure to hit them with that from now on."

"Okay, thanks for confirming that for us." Izuku nodded before looking back at Makoto. "Are you ready to keep going?"

"Y-Yes, I am. Just… I'm sorry for what happened. I wasn't much help." Makoto sighed, feeling embarrassed after being caught off-guard.

"It's okay. It was difficult for all of us at first. You'll get used to it as we go" Izuku said with a smile. "You'll start to get the hang of these fights as we go on. Just remember that our enemies' will get stronger, and certain ones will be even fiercer than a group of smaller Shadows."

"Understood. I'll try to be more cautious." Makoto nodded, trying to keep it from getting to her.

"Okay. Is everyone ready to keep going?" Izuku asked, looking at the others.

"All good here," Ryuji nodded.

"Same," Ann said.

"We're ready to proceed, Hero," Morgana confirmed.

"Okay, let's move," Izuku said, taking the lead again. Makoto allowed the others to take the lead, a frown spreading across her lips.

 _What's wrong with me? I need to clean up my act or I'll just drag them down._

Izuku led them to the next room, holding a hand up as he saw another Shadow lurking through the hall. He spared a look at the others to signal them to get ready. Seeing them nod, he rushed at its back before hopping up and ripping off its mask. The others quickly encircled the Shadows, which took the form of red-skinned fairies with glimmering gold and lavender butterfly wings on their backs

"We've got them surrounded! Let's open fire!" Makoto's jaw dropped as the Thieves drew their firearms, or slingshot in Morgana's case.

" **G-Guns**?!"

Each of the fully armed thieves let a shot fly, instantly grounding the fairies who were now crawling on the floor. With their opponents downed, the four moved in closer, keeping their weapons trained on them.

"We've got them all down. What do you want to do, Hero?" Morgana asked, looking up at Izuku.

"A-Alright, Shadow. If you want to survive, you should become my mask!" Izuku demanded, straightening up and glowering at them as hard as he could.

"I-I don't want to die! Why don't you think about how I feel?" the Shadow replied. Makoto blinking in shock as it spoke.

"W-Well, I don't want to take your life if I don't have to. That's why you should become my Persona!"

"For a stuttery guy, you're pretty pushy… Not that I hate that," the red-skinned fairy giggled before her body began to glow. "Well~, I guess I wouldn't mind. My name is Hua Po. I am now yours to use!" A blue light enveloped the Shadow before the shape of Izuku's mask. It then dispersed into energy that converged on his face and vanished.

He smiled as the other Shadows dispersed. "Welcome to the team."

"Good job, Hero. Another Persona to add to your arsenal," Morgana chuckled.

"I have… so many questions," Makoto declared, unable to shake her awed expression as she walking over to Izuku. "I don't even know where to begin…"

"O-Oh, I guess we haven't explained everything in detail, huh..?" Izuku trailed off, scratching his head awkwardly.

"We did kinda just show off some new stuff with that last one, huh?" Ryuji admitted, crossing his arms in thought.

"So… where should we start?" Ann asked.

"Well… for starters, where did you all get functional firearms?! Those are hard enough to get in Japan on the black market!" Makoto blanched, unable to hide her disbelief.

"Well, they're all technically just model guns," Izuku explained, pulling his 1911 replica and slowly handing it to Makoto. "The Metaverse can be influenced by one's cognition. If the Shadows think they're real, the guns will act like the real thing."

"So… just because they think they're real, they act real?" Makoto summed up, eyes lighting up with intrigue as she inspected the gun. "That's so fascinating… Dangerous, but fascinating." She handed the gun back to Izuku. "Alright, that's one question answered. But what exactly did you do to that Shadow?"

"Oh, right. I suppose we haven't explained that fully either, huh?" Morgana placed his paws on his hips. "You see, Hero here can wield multiple Personas. The ones you've seen so far aren't even his main one."

"W-Wait, really?" Makoto turned back to Izuku. "So… everyone else can only wield one Persona, but you can wield multiple?"

"That's right. It's some sort of… blessing, I guess, that I received at random while I'm in this world," Izuku explained. "I-I'd go into deeper detail, but I don't think we have that kind of time. We wouldn't want to get blindsided by a Shadow while we're standing here."

"O-Oh, right. My mistake."

"It's okay. If you have anymore questions, we'll try to answer them in the next safe room we find." It was obvious that this just gave her even more questions. "Y-You'll see. Let's go."

The group proceeded deeper into the hall, their backs close to the wall as they remained on the lookout for more Shadows. Seeing none at present, they trudged onward. Izuku guided them through another set of laser systems before arriving at the next door. Izuku ordered them to halt again, peeking around the corner to see two shadows patrolling the main lobby.

"Two Shadows ahead. But… I think we can avoid them."

"Are you sure? Wouldn't it be better to destroy them now?" Makoto asked eagerly.

"We'll only waste our energy. We only fight when there's no way around an enemy," said Morgana.

"O-Oh, of course. My mistake," Makoto nodded.

"Alright, stay close. We'll slip past them on my go…" Izuku whispered, peering inside the hall again. When the Shadows turned the opposite direction, he motioned forward. They quickly slipped past the Shadows with light, quiet steps. They made it into the main hall, the familiar golden statue looming above them.

"Alright, I think we're clear. Don't make too much noise, though," Izuku advised as he watched the door cautiously.

"This will be uncharted territory for us from here on out," said Ann.

"Remember, people. We don't need unnecessary attention. Try not to trip into any of the alarm systems or traps," Morgana said, his eyes hovering to a certain faux blond.

"Why you lookin' at me when you say that?"

"Come on. We should get going," Izuku waved for the others to follow as he moved to the rising path around the statue. The others fell in line next to him, scanning the next hall they entered cautiously. One end of the long corridor was blocked off by a security gate. Izuku pulled out the map they recovered to plot their next route.

"Looks like we'll have to take the long way around… come on, this way!"

They moved to the furthest end of the hall and took a left, entering a new red-walled gallery. Sparing a look around, the group silently noted the young faces in the portraits around them, understanding that it was another display of Madarame's pupils.

As they moved forward, Izuku slid under another security system, his team following suit before he stopped at a left turning corner. Just as he approached it, a Shadow strolled down the path in front of them. Izuku slid to a stop, spreading his arms out to stop the rest of them. Ryuji and Ann bumped into him at the sudden pause, but they caught on and held holding their breath. The Shadow didn't notice them as it turned back around and walked further down the gallery. The five collectively breathed once it was out of sight.

"That… almost gave me a heart attack," Ann groaned.

"At least we still have the element of surprise…" Izuku crept closer to the edge, peeking around the corner and seeing the Shadow. "Okay… its back is to us, I'm going in."

"Just be careful…" Makoto mumbled, touching the security system again to absorb the metal, though this time using her opposite hand to absorb electricity running through it.

Izuku nodded back before dashing down the hall, catching the Shadow off guard with his speed before peeling off its mask with a hard backward tug. The body fell to the ground before erupting into two small old men with long beards. They were holding leaves above their heads.

"I've got this!" Ann called out, drawing her mask off. "Agi!"

Fire swirled through the air, igniting one of the Shadows in flame and sending it hurling back.

"Alright, Panther! I'll-" Izuku started, only to widen his eyes as Makoto dashed past him. "K-Ko-Queen!"

" **HIYAH~!** " Makoto nailed the second Shadow across its jaw, metal humming with electrical energy as she smashed her fist into it. The Shadow reeled back in pain, staggered by the blow. Seeing a chance, Makoto kept up the attack, following up with four strong punches to the gut that made it collapse on the floor. Makoto hopped back, giving the others an opening to hold up the Shadow. "Alright, they're all yours!"

Izuku and the others looked on for a moment before quickly drawing their guns, making sure that the Shadows didn't get back up.

"W-Wait, don't! H-Here, take my money!" They cried out in fear, throwing out coins and bills of yen for the group to take on the ground.

"A-Alright. You can go," Izuku said, allowing the Shadows to scurry off. He moved to pick up the yen, raising his brow in surprise. "A thousand yen. That's pretty good!"

"Um… is it really alright to let them leave like that?" Makoto asked, looking at the others in confusion.

"Don't worry. Shadows don't make it far in those forms before dissipating back into that sludge," Morgana reassured before smiling. "But I have to say, that was quite an impressive display you put on, Queen. Good job."

"Yeah, I didn't think you'd jump in like that. It was badass," Ryuji noted, giving Makoto a thumbs up. "Looks like you're learnin'!"

"If you keep that up, maybe you really won't need a Persona," Ann smiled.

"Thanks, guys. I'm just trying to be helpful," Makoto said, allowing the metal and electricity to fade from her body. She looked at Izuku, blinking as she saw a frown on his face. "Is… everything alright?"

"Huh? O-Oh, no, it's fine! Really, you did great!" said Izuku. But she could easily hear the hesitation in his voice. "S-Sorry… I-I guess I'm still worried is all… But you were always the one taking care of me before, so I guess it's no surprise you're doing fine here."

Makoto felt a bead of sweat trail down her head, giving a hesitant nod. "I understand. But don't worry so much. I promise I can handle myself. If I can't, I'll speak up."

"O-Of course, of course. Alright, let's keep moving. We've still got a long way to go," Izuku told the others, earning a resounding agreement from them. As they moved again, Makoto lingered a moment longer before breathing out.

The group left the gallery without an issue, climbing up a set of glass stairs close by. It led them to another blue exhibit hall. Seeing a security office just ahead of them, Izuku slowed his pace. They approached with caution, crouching as they got closer.

Izuku peeked inside at the very edge of the window, relaxing when he saw no Shadows present inside. "Okay, we're clear."

"None in the hall either, far as I can tell," Ryuji announced, the others looking around the larger exhibit hall just ahead. Large paintings adorned the walls behind panes of protective glass on the left and right. At the center was a large golden vase sitting atop a pedestal.

"Keep your guard up. Shadows can appear out of nowhere sometimes," Izuku reminded them before moving forward with the team. On the other side of the glass, they saw a Shadow patrolling the paintings, but apparently paying them no mind.

As they crossed the center of the room, Morgana lagged behind, eyes fixed on the vase. "H-Hey, wait a second! You're just going to ignore that golden sheen?!" Morgana asked, looking at the others in disbelief as they halted.

He gazed longingly at the lustrous vase. His eyes sparkled and drool trickled from his mouth as he got closer and closer to it. "I know it would be hard to take with us, b-but… look at that luster! We could sell this baby for tons!"

"Hey, come on. We ain't here for big treasure like that, you know," Ryuji huffed, acting as the voice of reason.

"He's right, Mona. We only take treasure we can carry when we come across it," Izuku pointed out, though the cat seemed lost in the vase's reflection.

"Can you actually take loot out of the Palace?" Makoto asked curiously, more interested in the idea itself rather than the vase.

"Yup! That's kinda how we pay for all our stuff, actually. It's been really convenient," Ann explained for her. "Though we leave a lot of the spending to Hero. I don't think me or Skull would be that responsible with the money."

"Come on~! M-Maybe we try and break it up a bit! Some gold is better than none!" Morgana suggested, hopping up on the pedestal eagerly. Izuku's Third Eye picked up a hidden mechanism just as the cat landed on it.

"G-Get back, Mona!" Izuku cried out, a small clunk causing the group to widen their eyes. He managed to grab Makoto by the arm and yanked her back with him as the security system whirred to life. Infrared lasers formed a cage around the vase almost instantly, trapping Ann, Ryuji and Morgana inside.

"O-Oh no! I tripped the security!" Morgana cried out.

"Ugh, and you were the one tellin' us to be careful!" Ryuji grumbled in irritation. "But what should we do now? Risk it and book it outta here?"

"No, don't! You'll bring too many Shadows down on us that way!" Izuku called out. "Queen and I aren't caught inside the lasers. We'll figure a way to let you all out."

"Oh, thank goodness. We're counting on you two!" said Ann.

"Yeah, please… and sorry for messing up like that," Morgana sighed in embarrassment.

"It's okay. That security office might have a way to turn it off. Let's go, Queen," Izuku said, looking at Makoto.

"Right," The two headed back to the office they saw before, scanning the door for a way in. "Hm… doesn't look like we'll be able to make our way in from out here."

"Maybe there's another way to get in." He scanned the wall for another route, his eyes landing on a gated storage box standing by the edge near the glass. Looking up, he saw a small ledge that was reachable from the wardrobe.

"We'll climb up here and see what we can find," Izuku said, hopping on top of the storage and climbing to the ledge, Makoto close behind. Looking at the ground inside the glass, Izuku held a finger to his lips and motioned to it. Makoto nodded, staying close behind him and quiet as she could while moving. Izuku activated his Third Eye and gave the room another once over. He stopped when one of the paintings lit up and the guards' footsteps coming to and fro in front of it.

"I think there's something behind that painting," he whispered. "We'll have to get rid of the Shadow first. Ready?"

"Yes, but… I don't have anything to absorb," Makoto said looking at him with concern. "The walls here are made of plaster and won't be useful in a fight."

"You're right… wait…" Izuku pulled out his model gun, holding it to her. "Absorb the metal in this! It might be aluminum alloy, but it's pretty solid and should hold up well. You can use it too if you want since I have my Personas."

"Oh, thanks. But so long as I can use my Quirk, I should be fine." She touched the metal with her fingertips before melding it with her own body. "Alright, I'm ready. On your mark."

"Right…" Izuku looked back at the Shadow, moving into a position above it that gave him an easy shot. He hopped off, landing directly on its back and peeling the mask off with a quick jerk.

As he fell back from it, Izuku widened his eyes as he saw a larger than usual Shadow begin to take form. It was human in shape, but it was grotesque in appearance. Its skin was the color of freshly scattered ashes. A black leather apron fell past the knee of its one leg. It wore a bronze cap and mask that revealed a single, murderous eye with matching boots and spine on its shoulder. It held an iron hammer in one hand and a pair of blacksmithing tongs in the other.

 **(My Hero Academia S2 OST: Go Seize It!)**

" **You maggots… how dare you try and defile the magnificent Madarame's art?!** " The Shadow growled, raising the hammer above its head and swinging down at Izuku. The Persona user quickly dodged to the side. He grit his teeth, watching as the ground beneath its hammer cratered.

"B-Be careful, Queen! This Shadow's stronger than the ones we've faced before!" Izuku warned, pointing forward with his staff as he prepared to engage.

"Got it!" Makoto nodded, raising her right arm and allowing the metal to liquefy. She shot it forward, striking at a greater distance thanks to the extended metal rather than entering a close range fight. The Shadow's head bucked back, but the Shadow straightened out without issue. Makoto felt sweat trail down her brow at the sight.

The Shadow let out a bloodcurdling screech. It slammed its hammer into the ground, this time on purpose. Waves erupted from the impact and rocketed toward both Makoto and Izuku.

"Carter!" Izuku called out, touching his mask and summoning his true Persona. The porcelain -Persona crossed its arms in front of it, eating the brunt of the attack. Even with Carter's protection, Izuku skidded backward. Makoto hardened her metallic body to take the attack head-on. As durable as her skin was, her body trembled as the shockwaves coursed through her. She couldn't hold her ground against the assault, flying into the wall behind her, the paintings shaking from the impact.

"K-Kot-Queen!" Izuku eyes blazed as he narrowed his gaze at the Shadow. Aiming forward, Carter put its fingers together in a flicking motion. " **Quantico Smash~!** "

A burst of physical energy blasted forth, colliding into the Shadow and sending it tumbling backwards, smashing a painting that had been propped up against the wall. Izuku felt his arm going numb, but he didn't feel any pain and could still move it just fine.

He took the opportunity to run to his fallen teammate while their enemy was down. "Q-Queen! Are you okay?!" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"I-I'm fine, don't worry. Just a bit… shaken up," Makoto groaned, shaking her head in an attempt to regain her bearings. Izuku breathed a sigh relief before shifting his gaze back to the Shadow. It peeled itself from the wall, its body hunched forward as it started staggering towards them. Taking a step forward, Izuku willed Carter to attack again.

"Kouha!" Carter pitched the ball of light in his hand with all the speed and force of a cannonball. But the Shadow ate the attack without even flinching, hovering forward with its hammer raised.

"Crap! Bless attacks aren't effective!" Izuku cursed, raising his staff in preparation to attack.

"I'm going to pin it down. Hit it with whatever you can!" Makoto gripped her metal fists, shaping them into pointed blades as long as her forearms.

"W-Wait, Queen! We don't-" Makoto paid him no mind, rushing forward with her arms lowered at her side. As the Shadow raised an arm to strike her, she sidestepped the attack before burying her makeshift claws into its leg. The Shadow howled in pain as it tried to pry her off, but she would not let go.

"Now, Hero!"

Izuku couldn't hesitate. With Makoto so close to it, there wasn't a moment to waste. Touching his mask, Izuku summoned Jack Frost.

"Bufu!" Makoto released the Shadow just as she felt the temperature drop around her, diving out of the way as a block of ice slammed into the ground by a falling block of ice.

He had taken a chance on switching to Jack Frost, hoping alternate type of magic would be sufficient. His gamble paid off yet again as the Shadow didn't move from its spot.

"Let's finish it off!" With staff in hand, he and Makoto pounced on their hapless foe. They battered and diced the Shadow to pieces in a heartbeat, watching it explode into a pile of black ooze.

The duo was taking greedy gulps of air, gazing over at each other as they caught their breath. Makoto started to laugh out in relief, a warm smile crossing her lips. "W-Well… that was a bit rough, but… T-That wasn't too bad, huh?"

Izuku slowly put on a smile of his own, giving her a tired nod. "Y-Yeah. That could have definitely gone worse. You did a good job."

"Thanks. Though I will admit that was more difficult than I would have guessed." Makoto straightened herself out. "Now, shall we get the others out?"

From there on was smooth sailing. They uncovered switches behind the paintings that lowered the glass shields, freeing Ryuji and Ann from the cage. After breaking into the security room, they eavesdropped on two Shadows discussing the password to the security system and were able to shut it down.

"S-Sorry about that guys. I don't know what came over me…" Morgana's eyes remain firmly glued to the ground as he skipped to safety. "I can't believe I made such a rookie mistake. Even for a gold vase."

"Yeah, no kiddin'! You were actin' as loopy as when you saw the Treasure in Kamoshida's Palace. And you were the one tellin' us not to touch anything in the exhibit." Ryuji crossed his arms as he gazed down at Morgana. "What got into you?"

"I don't know… but just looking at it, I felt strangely drawn to it."

"That… does seem really strange." Izuku walked up to the vase and tilted his head as he looked it over. "Maybe there's something…"

He reached out and grazed it with his fingers. In that instant, the vase shattered into a hundred tiny fragments. The five backed away as an enormous gem hovered where the vase once stood.

"Wh-What the hell?!" Ryuji blurted out.

"I-Is that a diamond or a Shadow?!" Makoto asked, taking a fighting stance. Instead of rushing at them though, the diamond started to hover away.

"Oh~, that explains it! Don't let that thing get away! Catch it!" Morgana told them. Izuku jumped forward and slammed his staff into the jewel. It impacted against the ground before condensing into a pool of black ooze. From it, a pearlescent wisp that seemed to be made of liquid rose from it. It was shaped like a humanoid ghost with its tail end attached to a ruby the size of a bathtub.

"S-So it was a Shadow?! But why did it look like that?" Ann asked, pulling her whip out as she prepared to fight alongside the others.

"Never mind that, for now. Let's just destroy this thing! You'll see why I wanted to pursue it," Morgana told them, the team coordinating so that they surrounded the strange Shadow.

"If you say so. Captain Kidd!" Ryuji called out, the Persona hovering above him before shooting a torrent of lightning forward. He and the others blinked when it barely phased the Shadow, merely causing it to shake somewhat with little to no damage.

"Carmen!"

"Jack Frost!"

Fire and ice were dealt out one after the other, but neither had much of an effect on the Shadow. It showed no visible signs of wear, but it made no move to escape or fight.

"What's… going on with this Shadow?" Makoto muttered.

"Maybe we need brute force. Carter!" Izuku exclaimed, his main Persona materializing above him. "Smash~!"

Carter blasted the Shadow with another flick of its fingers. This seemed to do the trick, the Shadow falling to the floor as the Thieves surrounded it with their guns raised.

"Hehehe… wonderful," said the Shadow. "Go on, finish me off and claim your reward. You have earned the right to my riches."

Izuku glanced over at Morgana with an utterly bewildered look on his face. "This one doesn't care about dying?"

"This Shadow is different. Let's finish it off like it said!" Morgana proclaimed, raising his sword. The others looked at one another before following his lead, dashing at the Shadow and nailing it with a rush of strikes from their melee weapons. Almost as if it hadn't been so durable, the Shadow dissipated into black ooze in an instant.

Just defeating the Shadow seemed to fill each Persona user with newfound strength, feeling their Personas strengthen from the experience. Turning around, Izuku blinked as several yen bills floated through the air, quickly catching them.

"This is… f-five thousand yen?! Just from one Shadow?!"

"Wh-What?! For real?!" Ryuji blanched as he walked up to Izuku with the girls.

Makoto held the tip of her chin. "That certainly seems like a lot for taking down one Shadow. It seemed tough, but it didn't really fight."

"Hehe. Now you see why I wanted to pursue it," Morgana skipped up to Izuku. "What we just fought is what I call Treasure Demons. It's a special kind of Shadow that's found hidden away inside pricey items within Palaces."

"So wait… we can find those things around the Palace just at random?" Ann asked.

"That's right! As you saw, they come with a hefty reward for beating them. We should keep an eye out for them in the future," Morgana explained.

"That's intriguing… I wonder what would happen if I made one a Persona and used it for a fusion…" Izuku muttered to himself in thought. "Anyway, that aside, let's keep going. Hopefully, we'll reach a safe room soon and take a much-needed break."

* * *

"I am **so** glad we had a safe room before walking in here," Ann breathed out tiredly.

"Yeah, no kiddin'. Two Shadows in a row before Hero found that switch?" Ryuji grumbled, rolling his shoulder. "Not to mention one of 'em were tough as shit."

"It certainly helped me get more experience fighting them with my Quirk, but I can't argue that it hasn't exhausting," Makoto breathed out, flexing her fingers in front of her. "I've used my Quirk more times in these few hours than I have my whole life."

"Are you still able to keep going? I know using a Quirk over and over like that has a heavy toll on your body," Izuku asked in concern, wiping his forehead of sweat. He had been able to claim Koppa Tengu as his newest Persona from the fight, but it was a long, drawn-out negotiation after a grueling fight.

"I'm fine, thanks. I can keep going for now," Makoto reassured.

"Plus, we shouldn't have much to go before the map cuts off. We should explore just a bit further to see if we can get the second half of this one," Morgana suggested. Seeing the others nod in agreement, Izuku nodded back.

Makoto let the others walk ahead of her, trying to steady her trembling arms while no one was watching.

 _T-This is no big deal. I can keep fighting. I have to._ She told herself, taking a tired breath before putting on a confident mask and following the others.

They continued into the next hall, looking around to see the aesthetic had changed from deep blue to almost garishly glittering gold. As they pressed on, they looked around to see a more open loft surrounding them. To their left was a small indoor pond lit with a yellow hue, furnished trees lining the edges. On their right, blue and yellow stained glass lined the walls with the exception of the opening at the center.

"Whoa, what's up with this place?" Ann wondered aloud as the group moved to the new open area. Ahead of them was a set of blue Japanese-style sliding doors mounted in front of a tall golden section some ways ahead of them. "It's even gaudier than everything else we've seen so far."

"Considering the design of a Palace, there's no doubt that something important is hidden that way," said Morgana. "I don't feel the Treasure's presence, but it's no doubt something he doesn't want anyone to know about."

"Well, let's go find out!" Ryuji said. With that, the five continued forward. The sliding doors drew back as they approached, revealing several layers of doors behind the first Once they reached the end of it, the group came to a sudden halt at the new sight before them.

A new set of security lasers blocked off the next area. These were bright enough to see even without Izuku's Third Eye. Electricity streamed across them periodically as if to warn intruders to stay out.

"Whoa, what the hell?!" Ryuji blurted, looking for any sort of way around them.

"These are the security lasers? They look completely different than the ones from before," Ann said, eyeing them all curiously.

Morgana's gaze narrowed. "This is just only further proof that there's something worth protecting past here."

"Hey, over here," Makoto called out, her attention drawn to a sign standing close by. "'All security personnel: this door can only be opened from the security room that lies beyond it. Please be cautious, as it cannot be opened from the outside'."

"Wait, what?! Then how're we supposed to get inside?!" Ryuji asked in panic.

"Hold on… I've seen that door's design before…" Morgana muttered before realization dawned on his face. "Oh, right! I remember seeing that door before in Madarame's shack! Come on, let's head back."

"Huh? What does the door in the real world have to do with this one?" Izuku asked.

"I'll explain once we're in a safe area. Let's fall back so we can plan our next move," Morgana suggested. Izuku looked over at Ryuji and Ann in wonder. Shrugging, the three began to follow the cat back out.

"W-Wait, that's it?"

Izuku paused and looked back at Makoto, the third-year student was still standing by the lasers.

"Just for now. If Morgana-san has a way we can get past, then we should see what he has to say."

"B-But shouldn't we at least try to get past on our own first?" Makoto asked. The others stopped in their tracks to gaze back at her. "M-Maybe I can absorb the electricity in some of the security systems long enough to open a way forward and then you all can use your Personas to smash the door down!"

"That's too risky. We might end up bringing a whole lot of Shadows down on us that way," Izuku said. He gazed over at the translucent blue doors emblazoned with a golden peacock feather design. "Even if we get past the lasers, smashing a door like that will cause a lot of noise."

"He's right, Queen. And considering that this door is likely protected by Madarame's cognition, muscling our way through likely isn't a possibility," Morgana pointed out. Makoto opened her mouth, looking around at the group before sighing.

"I… I understand," Makoto nodded quietly. Izuku could hear the dejection in her voice, but beckoned her to follow.

"Come on, we shouldn't linger! This area isn't safe," Morgana called out, pulling his attention forward. Realizing that he was right, Izuku decided to hold onto the thought.

"Come on, Queen. Let's-"

 ***BEEP BEEP BEEEEEEP***

Sirens blared as all the lights in the room turned red. Izuku and the others snapped their heads back toward the lasers. Makoto stood there, eyes widening in horror as her hand drew away from the security system.

"D-Dude, what happened?!" Ryuji exclaimed, the others looking around in fear.

"I-I'm sorry, I-I just reached out to touch the security bars, but it-it went off even though I didn't touch the lasers!" Makoto explained, turning to Izuku in a panic.

"S-Shoot, we have to…" Izuku began, eyes bulging as he saw a black ooze exploded just feet behind Makoto. "K-Koto-san, behind you!"

"What?"

Makoto turned just in time to see a giant white hand yank her backward and press her into the ground face-first. The Shadow that formed behind her was taller than Carter, its body blocky and angular as though it was an elaborate piece of origami. It wore a crescent crown on its expressionless face. A five-point star drawn on top of its head.

"You intruders have gotten far enough!" The Shadow growled. It pressed Makoto harder into the ground and made her cry out in pain.

"Get **away from her**!" Izuku growled, stepping forward and preparing to draw his mask off. Before he could get close, black ooze erupted in three places around him and the others. Three Koppa Tengu rose out of the muck, surrounding the rest of the Thieves and blocking their path.

"Get the hell outta our way!" Ryuji gripped his spiked bat tighter.

"You're all going to be judged by the magnificent Madarame! Don't resist!"

"G-Guys… don't…" Makoto coughed out as the Shadow continued to press her into the ground.

"D-Don't worry, Koto-san! We'll be there in just a second!" Izuku's teeth were grinding against each other as he summoned Carter to his side. "I'll blast through-"

"Don't bother!"

Izuku and the others froze, looking back down at Makoto. Tears trailed down her cheeks, her hands trembling against the ground.

"This… This is my fault…" Makoto choked out, her fingers digging into the carpet. "I… I was just so…"

"F-Forget about that for now! We'll get to you!" Carter's fist was already glowing as Izuku reared his own back.

 _It might drain me, but it'll be worth it if I can clear a path and kill the Shadow before it does any more harm!_

"I was so **desperate** to be useful that I… acted against my better judgment…"

Izuku's heart sank, his attack coming to a grinding halt as his friend poured her heart out.

"I… I've always done what others ask of me… hoping that I can… prove my worth. Prove I'm not useless!" Makoto dug her face into the ground. "I-I thought that… that by helping you all, that I… I was finally being useful, but I'm… I'm not even useless. Whether it's you or my sister, I'm… I'm just a liability…"

"K-Koto-san…"

"Hahahahaha~!" the Shadow cackled. It leaned its head closer to hers. "At least you know your place, intruder! But if you want to be useful to someone, why don't you make your partners lower their weapons? Otherwise, they'll have to suffer consequences of bringing along someone so useless." It pressed down on her even harder. She could feel her bones creaking under the strain. "I'm sure I'd be doing them a favor, but they seem to care either way."

"I-I… I won't…" Makoto grated out painfully, struggling to breathe under the pressure.

"Koto-san… You…" Izuku began, dragging her fading vision back up to him. Izuku's fists trembled at his side and furious tears streamed down his cheeks.

 **(My Hero Academia S2 OST: From Me to You)**

"What… What are you doing?!" ge snapped. His bewildered teammates all all turned him. " **You're** the one who encouraged me to keep trying! Don't you… don't you remember what you told me?!

Makoto felt a wave of nostalgia hit her, distracting from the pain.

 _What I… told him?_

Makoto saw herself sitting on the swing sets in the park next to Izuku. Both were covered in cuts, scrapes and dirt from their latest tussle with Bakugou and his lackeys.

" _H-Hey… Koto-san…"_

" _Hm? What is it Midori?"_

 _Tears were already leaking from the corners of his eyes. "You know that I… I don't have a Quirk, right?"_

" _Well… yeah, but that's okay. It might-"_

" _It won't. I… I can't have a Quirk. Ever!" Any semblance of composure collapsed as he descended into hysterical sobbing. "A-And t-the doctor s-said th-that I should just give up! That I c-can't be a H-Hero! Not even m-my m-mom thinks I can!"_

 _Makoto's eyes fell on the green-haired boy next to her. Izuku's crying fits were nothing new, but he seemed to be in physical pain as he clutched the part of his chest above his heart._

" _M-Midori…"_

" _C-Can I… without a Quirk, can I…" Izuku's trembling gaze trailed back up to Makoto. "Can I still be a Hero?"_

 _Makoto frowned in sympathy, gaze falling to her feet. A silence followed the question. Izuku bit his bottom lip, looking away from Makoto as he gave up hope on the answer._

" _I don't know…" Makoto finally said, eyes meeting with Izuku's again as she spoke. "But… will you know if you let that stop you?"_

" _H-Huh?"_

" _Becoming a hero without a Quirk… it does sound hard. I won't lie," Makoto said honestly, standing up from her seat. "But… if you give up before you even try, how will you find out?"_

" _B-But… But-"_

" _My papa told me something: you only need one person's approval to be who you want to be. Yours!" Makoto declared, giving a confident grin. "So what if a doctor or even your mom says you can't be a Hero? You just have to prove it to yourself, don't you?"_

" _Even… without a Quirk?"_

" _Yeah! Give it your best shot! Prove it to yourself instead of trying to prove it to them! After all, isn't that what going Plus Ultra is?"_

" _K-Koto…san…" Even more tears welled up in his eyes that soon cascaded on either side of him. "Th-Thank you!"_

" _Hey, hey! Don't cry harder, you big baby." She pulled the younger boy into a hug, letting his grateful sobs soak her shirt._

 _Prove it… to myself. That's right… that's what dad told me._

"Quiet! Anymore and I'll crush this intruder where she lays!" the Shadow roared in anger before looking down at Makoto. "Now do as you're told and tell them to drop their weapons! Like a good little girl."

"I… I've… I've been doing what I'm told…"

 **(Persona 5 OST: Awakening)**

A gale burst from beneath her body, who dropped her and recoiled at the unexplained force. It was almost as if a small storm was circling her body as she pushed herself off the ground as if she hadn't been harmed at all.

"I… I am **sick** of it. Sick of doing everything I'm told… I'm sick of lying to myself and trying to please others."

"Is she…" Izuku mumbled, a small smile spreading across his lips.

"I think she is…" Morgana smirked.

"Hell yeah," Ryuji chuckled.

"It's about time," said Ann. The four quickly touched their masks, summoning their Personas as they awaited Makoto's own.

"So shut your **damn mouth, you monster!** Because I'm not bending to your will or **anyone else's**!"

 _ **Have you decided to tread the path of strife..?**_

"Yes… come to me!" The words came almost naturally.

 _ **Very well. Let us proceed with the contract at once.**_

Makoto's eyes burned gold and her head began to feel like it would split in two. She screamed in agony, gripping her forehead.

 _ **I am thou. Thou art I...**_

 _ **You have finally found your justice...**_

 _ **Please… Never lose sight of it again.**_

Makoto took a heavy step forward, fragmenting the tile underfoot. A flash of blue materialized a pointed metal mask on her face.

 _ **This memorable day marks the graduation from your false self…**_

She knew immediately what she had to do. Makoto gripped the edges of the mask on her face. With a single, painful tug, Makoto ripped it off, her bloodcurdling scream echoing through the halls of the museum. But in that instant, blue flame erupted all around her. Izuku and the others covered their eyes, blinded by the furious blue light. As it started to fade, Izuku and the others lowered their arms, their jaws slackening as they took in the scene before them.

Makoto's Persona was nothing like they pictured it would be. She sat atop a silver and chrome-plated motorcycle that was armored in the front and back. The exhaust ports took the form of vents in the front rather than the back. A serene, maiden-like face encased in blue glass sat atop the front wheel. A few revs of the handle brought the engine roaring to life, the wheels spinning and ready to grind Makoto's foes into paste.

"I will never lose heart again. I'll go full throttle, straight ahead! Right, **Johanna?!** "

 **To be continued…**

 **Thanks as always goes to my beta read reppuzan who has been working hard constantly with many different projects as well as this!**

 **Hooo boy, what a chapter. That was certainly a lot to put in. What's funny is that it's actually not as long as I was expecting it to be, word count wise at least.**

 **Basically, I've stuffed this chapter with two CL progressions AND finished off the first half of the Madarame Palace. Not to mention I've finally awakened Makoto's Persona.**

 **I realize that the Kamoshida arc seemed to drag on for some, but there was a reason behind that. Izuku and the others were getting established as a group as well as getting into deeper detail as to what is pertained within a Palace. I was building up characters and their relationships, stakes and determining the building blocks for the story.**

 **Now that all of those finer details are dealt with, I'm finally able to move this arc along at a much greater pace. The stakes are lower, and this is nowhere near as personal for the group as it was for them in the first arc. Of course, that's not including Yusuke, but even his moments are much shorter by comparison.**

 **One last thing I want to address before finishing up is the little speech that Makoto gave Izuku when they were children. I'm aware that the idea of Izuku becoming a Hero despite being Quirkless is still a very dangerous path to take and doesn't really line up with what All Might told Izuku. But you have to remember that they were kids, and their innocence of the world around them was still intact. Makoto hadn't lost her father yet, so they were still both infatuated by the romanticized idea of Heroes at the time. In a world like theirs, would it be so hard to believe that even someone Quirkless might be able to be a Hero? While reality kicks in later, this also works as part of why Izuku was as fit as he was at the beginning of this story. Makoto's words stuck with him, and he was still going after his dream. To at least prove to himself whether or not he could do it.**

 **Oh and on a smaller note, what I did with Makoto this chapter, with her learning smaller details as they went, I won't do with the other members unless it's something the whole group is unaware of. This was more for her case because of her special circumstance in the team.**

 **But anyways, I hope you all liked the chapter. I hope that this doesn't feel too rushed for anyone, considering the difference between the arcs. Please be sure to leave a follow, a favorite, and a review if you'd be so kind! Later! :)**


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: I own neither My Hero Academia nor the Persona series.**

Chapter 25

 ***VRRRRRR VRRRRRR***

The Phantom Thieves stared at Makoto and her Persona in disbelief.

"That's… her Persona..?" Izuku mumbled.

 ***VRRRRRRRRRRRR***

"Naw dude. That's a bike," Ryuji shook his head dumbly.

"If you don't wanna get run over then get out of my way!" Makoto snarled, revving up her Persona again as she spun to face the large Shadow in front of her.

"Y-You damn brat! You'll pay with your lives for defying us!" The Shadow growled. It aimed its arm forward at her, snapping its finger and releasing a single shot like a bullet. Izuku tried to warn her, but Makoto was already on it. Her Persona quickly sped out of the way, dodging it seamlessly as accelerated towards the Shadow. Makoto pulled off a quick back spin once she got close, grinding the back wheel into the Shadow and causing it to recoil in pain.

"I told you to GET OUT OF MY WAY! Now, Johanna!" The silver face on the bike's front glass flashing for a moment before unleashing a ball of teal energy. In a brilliant flash, the large white Shadow screamed as it was left in a ball of smoke, shriveling and scorched from the attack.

"Holy shit!" Ryuji guffawed, his jaw dropping.

"She's strong!" Morgana mumbled in awe.

"Yeah, but let's back her up!" Izuku declared, pulling his mask off and summoning Carter. "Makouha!"

Carter slammed his fist into the ground, releasing a small wave of light in all directions and knocking the Koppa Tengu's away from them.

"They're all knocked down! Come on, guys!" Ann called out, she and Izuku jumping forward first. Ryuji and Morgana soon followed, the four rushing to Makoto's side and pulling out their weapons as she willed her Persona away.

"Let's do it!" Makoto exclaimed as she fell in line, the five rushing forward and quickly striking out at the Shadow with furious blows from their handheld weapons. Izuku took note of the fact that knuckle dusters had taken shape from Makoto's cognition, which she used to full effect while attacking their foe.

" **GAAGH~!"** The Shadow cried in despair as they landed the finishing blow, its body turning into black ooze and dissipating before their eyes.

"Now who's the good little girl," Makoto spat, cracking her neck not-so graciously.

"It's been a long time since I've seen you snap like that…" Izuku laughed quietly, a bead of sweat rolling down his cheek.

"Sup, Champion of Century's End?" Ryuji smirked, walking up next to Makoto.

"You wanna get smacked?" Makoto huffed, sending a small glare his way.

"Hey, careful! The Shadows are getting back up!" Ann called, the others shifting their attention back to the group of Koppa Tengu Izuku had blasted back.

"We shouldn't waste time fighting them. I'm sure more Shadows will appear after that alarm sounded," Morgana said, looking at the others. "Let's break through these guys and get to that safe room! You had something you wanted to test with the Metanav, right Hero?"

"Yeah, we just have to make it there first," Izuku nodded, reaching up to his mask. "I'll-"

"I'll break us through," Makoto said, Johanna manifesting immediately. "You guys stay close. I'm going on ahead."

Without another word, Makoto blasted forth, her Persona easily ramming its way through the Shadows and reducing them to roadkill on the velvety carpet.

"Damn…" Ryuji mumbled in amazement.

"Alright, we have our opening. Let's go!" Izuku called out, not wasting another moment as he led the group forward.

* * *

"Man, I can't believe that worked! I didn't know the Metanav could do that!" Ryuji exclaimed. After making their quick escape and getting to a safe room just nearby, Izuku had used the Metanav to teleport them back to the entrance before taking them back to the real world.

"It was a theory I thought I'd test. Now we know we can cut a lot of time by using the Metanav to go to safe rooms that get marked once we locate them," Izuku smiled before looking back down at Makoto, the older girl hunched over next to him on the sidewalk. "Are you alright, Koto-san? I have some medicine or maybe something to drink if you need them."

"J-Just… give me a moment, and… and I'll be fine," Makoto breathed out, though accepting a water bottle when offered by Izuku. "I've never been so tired before in my life…"

"Remind me to never get on your bad side. You've got some fire in you, girl," Ann giggled half-jokingly, rubbing the side of her head. "I'd be afraid of getting my arm ripped off."

"Please, stop it," Makoto grumbled, forcing herself to stand up despite obvious signs of fatigue. "But, I have to admit… it felt great cutting loose like that."

"Who would have guessed that the calm and collected student president would have such a fury waiting to be tapped into?" Morgana commented, causing Makoto to release a sheepish laugh.

"Perhaps I went a little overboard, but… just thinking about all the times I've held myself back trying to be the good, patient girl that listens to adults kept making me more and more pissed off," Makoto explained, flashing a smile at the rest of the group. "I'm sorry for putting you all in danger with my selfishness, but… thank you for taking me along. Because of what happened, everything seems clear."

"'Course! We look out for each other, no matter what!" Ryuji said, flashing a dumb grin and a thumbs up.

"Now that you've got a Persona, you're officially initiated into the group!" Ann giggled.

"We've all made mistakes, Makoto, as you saw from me," Morgana chuckled. "But what matters is proceeding onward and learning from those mistakes."

Izuku smiled. "Let's keep fighting on from here. We've still got a ways to go."

"Right," Makoto nodded back before looking at Morgana. "So, you said that there's a way past that door in the real world?"

"Ah, yes. I suppose we haven't gone over that yet." Morgana climbed higher on Izuku's shoulder to look at everyone. "Okay, everyone. Listen close. That door is built upon a powerful cognition in Madarame's mind and is represented by a place within his shack."

"Whoa, for real? How'd you know that?" asked Ryuji.

Morgana puffed his chest out proudly. "I went scouting the last time we were there to look for places of interest just in case!"

"You were 'scouting' because you were bored," Ann rolled her eyes, neatly popping the cat's inflated self-image.

"So how exactly is that door linked to the real world and his cognition?" Makoto asked, bringing the cat back to life.

"Well, while I was scouting, I happened to find a door with a rather hefty and impressive lock on it. One that matched the design of the door we saw in Madarame's Palace," Morgana explained, earning a wide-eyed look from the teens.

"So there's something in there that Madarame doesn't want people to see!" Ann added, earning a nod from the cat.

"So… what you're saying is that, to Madarame, that door is sealed and will remain that way until his cognition of it has been changed?" Makoto suggested with a thoughtful look.

"Very perceptive, Makoto. Yes, that is exactly what we have to do. And the only way to do that is open the door before his eyes, showing him that it's not the impenetrable place he believes it to be," Morgana went on to explain.

Ryuji blanched. "Wait-open it in front of him? How the hell do we do that?!"

"Well, I can handle opening the lock so long as I get a hairpin to do it. But I'll need time and a distraction. If only we knew someone with a way inside…" Morgana flashed a Cheshire cat grin as his gaze drifted over to Ann.

"Oh… Ooh~!" Ryuji smirked. "I mean, I guess it is our _only_ option. The rest of us would definitely get reported if they caught us tryin' to break in, after all…"

"What?" Ann asked, her tone becoming defensive as the rest of the team's eyes fell on her.

"I guess… the only way for this to work is if you go nude…" Ryuji's smirk grew.

"WHAT?!"

"Fancy you say that, Ryuji. I was thinking the exact same thing," Morgana chuckled, eyes focused on Ann now.

"This isn't funny!" Ann complained, looking at Makoto and Izuku. "C-Come on, guys! You're the brains here! There has to be another way!"

While Izuku and Makoto had more awkward and sympathetic looks, they weren't at all reassuring. When they cast their gazes away, Ann's hopes vanished. "S-Say something!"

"... I-I-I hate to put you in that spot, A-Ann-senpai, but… I think they're right…" Izuku mumbled, rubbing his arm nervously.

"W-Well, look on the bright side! A-At least Kitagawa-kun will let me be there to reassure you!" Makoto offered with a forced smile.

"B-But I'm still going to have to get naked! This is too sudden!" Ann cried, stamping her foot in frustration.

"Look, you don't _really_ gotta get nude," Ryuji sighed, his amusement fading with Ann's attitude.

"He's right. It's simply the best excuse for getting inside his house without raising suspicions," Morgana added. "So for this mission, you'll have to play decoy, Lady Ann."

"B-But I… H-How long will it take for you to open the door?! Plus, I don't even know where it is!" Ann was grasping at straws at this point.

"Don't worry. I'll accompany you and handle the door," Morgana said with confidence.

"I'm sorry, Takamaki-san. Just know I'll be right there with you," Makoto said, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"W-Well… that's…" Ann released a sigh in defeat, slumping her shoulders. "I guess that's better than being alone… thanks, Niijima-senpai. A lot better than _these_ guys!" She shot a glare Ryuji and Morgana's way, causing the two to look away awkwardly.

"I-I can… try to think of something, but… I really don't see another way. Sorry, Ann-senpai…" Izuku mumbled, hanging his head in shame.

"Still, the problem is if we get found out. How do we escape?" Makoto asked, looking at Morgana.

"We'll just run into the Palace! ...Or something," Morgana coughed under his breath.

"Is that really gonna work?! You're not giving me much confidence here!" Ann complained as she glared at the cat.

"It'll be okay, Takamaki-san. Escaping into the Palace shouldn't be a problem if the Metanav can work in anywhere within the Palace's vicinity," Makoto tried to reassure her.

"Well, yeah, I guess…" Ann mumbled, looking down dejectedly. "Fine… Fine, I'll do it, damn it! For justice!"

"That's the spirit! Okay, you go ahead and set up an appointment for tomorrow and we'll be all set!" Ryuji grinned, giving her a thumbs up.

"T-Tomorrow?! That soon?!" Ann blanched.

"The sooner the better. Try to sell the idea that you need it done tomorrow, 'kay?"

"Ugh! God!" Ann groaned in irritation before glaring at the boys again. "You better not mess it up! I'll strangle you guys if I do all this and it doesn't work!"

"W-We won't waste your efforts!" Izuku quickly nodded.

"I'm sure it'll be fine! Stop worrying!" Ryuji took a step back, giving a nervous laugh.

Ann let out a tired breath before looking at Makoto. "I'm glad you're going to be there, at least. Thank you… hey, is it alright if I call you Makoto?"

The third-year blinked in surprise. "R-Really? I mean-sure… if you don't mind that I call you Ann."

"Of course! We're fellow Phantom Thieves, after all. No need to be so formal," Ann giggled, showing more levity as the topic changed.

"Hey, mind if I do the same? You're one of us, so it only feels right," Ryuji said, bringing a bright smile to Makoto's face.

"Of course. I'd be happy if you all did."

Izuku didn't say a word, but he was smiling all the same. _I doubt we'll change what we call each other, but it's nice to see she's past that point with the others._

"Alright, everyone. I think that concludes our job for today. Let's head home and rest up," Morgana suggested, earning a round of nods in return.

"Koto-san, I'll take you home, if that's alright," Izuku offered, moving to the elder girl's side. "I know you're probably still drained from what happened. I just want to make sure you get home alright."

"That'd be great, thanks. I am still winded, to be honest," Makoto breathed out, giving Izuku a small smile.

"Alright then. Guess I'll head off with Ann. Gotta get her mentally ready for tomorrow, you know?" Ryuji joked. It earned him a harsh jab to the side from Ann's elbow. "Ow!"

* * *

"Wow. I didn't realize you lived in such a big apartment now…" Izuku said as he walked through hall leading to Makoto's apartment with her close next to him.

"Yeah. Sis needed a place close to work since they call her in so often, so they helped her find a place within Shibuya," Makoto explained, looking up in thought. "Though I don't think they needed her to live this close, she definitely wanted to be so she was ready for whatever they had for her at a moment's notice."

"Sae-onee-san was always a hard worker. But I guess I never saw the full extent of it," Izuku said with a bit of awe.

"Well… it wasn't always like that. She knew how to relax before...well, you know…"

"A-Ah, I see…" Izuku looked away and scratched the back of his head. "S-Sorry."

"Don't worry about it. I've come to terms with that," Makoto reassured him with a small smile. She came to an abrupt halt as they neared the door. "Oh, Sis!"

Izuku blinked, looking up to see none other than Sae standing by a door with a key in hand. The elder Niijima sister looked up from the door

"There you are, Makoto. I was wondering if you were inside. And…" Sae's attention shifted to Izuku, raising a brow curiously at him. "Oh, Little Izu. I'm surprised to see you here, too."

"H-Hi, Sae-onee-san…" Izuku waved with an awkward smile.

"Good to see you again, so soon. But what were you both doing out so late?" Sae asked, looking back down at the door and opening it.

"W-We were just out uh… jogging together!"

"Y-Yes, jogging together. As you can see from my… attire," Makoto added stiffly, looking down at her workout clothes. "I-It had been so long since we last worked out together, s-so we thought we'd hang out after school! Exercise stimulates the brain! Hehe…"

" _You two are the worst liars…"_ Morgana whispered from Izuku's bag.

Sae wasn't buying it if the quirk in her brow was any indication. The strained smiles on their faces certainly didn't help. Despite her reservations, she only rolled her eyes. "Well, if you say so. Anyways, would you like to come in, Little Izu? I can make you something to drink if you're thirsty."

"O-Oh, no, I'm fine! Thank you for the offer, Sae-onee-san!" Izuku waved his arms sporadically. "I-I was just making sure Koto-san got home alright! I have to head back now, too."

"Alright then. Be careful on your way home." Sae nodded as she gave him a small smile.

"I-I will. See you at school, Koto-san!" Izuku said, giving her a small wave before turning around.

"Okay, then. See you at school," Makoto nodded, returning it as she walked up next to Sae. The sisters watched him as he left, the green haired teen still waving awkwardly until he got to the elevator. Once the doors closed behind him, Sae couldn't help but let out a small laugh.

Sae opened the door, letting them inside. "I see he hasn't changed a bit. Still as shy and nervous as he was when he was a cute little kid."

"Yes, he's… very much like when we were children," Makoto nodded in agreement. "He's matured for sure, but he's still the same boy I met on the playground."

"That doesn't surprise me. Though something strange did come up from that case at your school." Makoto stiffened as she watched her sister set her purse on the dining room table. "Izuku's name popped up on a list of suspects for Suguru Kamoshida's so-called 'change of heart'. But it was quickly thrown out since he's Quirkless. Still, I thought it was strange until I found out he had a criminal record. Did you know about this?"

Makoto looked at the ground, releasing a sigh as she rubbed her arm. "Yes, I knew. A student leaked the info to the student body. Practically everyone at Shujin knows about his record, now."

Sae crossed her arms over her chest in thought. "Yes, that was part of Kamoshida's confession. Still, the idea of Little Izu having a record for assault of all things took me by surprise."

"It's a bogus charge!" Makoto blurted out, startling her sister. "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to shout, but… Izuku explained what happened to me. Whoever it was that he supposedly 'assaulted' lied to the police's face and got Izuku slapped with a criminal record for no good reason! His first month at school couldn't even be normal because of that…"

Sae looked down at the table, giving her words some thought. "I don't doubt that Izuku thinks he was doing the right thing in that situation… but I also remember that Izuku often liked to play hero when you were kids."

"What are you saying?" Makoto asked. Her voice rose a little at the seemingly innocuous statement.

"I'm sure Izuku had his heart in the right place, but now that he's older, playing Hero can have grave consequences." Sae sighed, peering at Makoto from the side. Her sister remained silent, but her eyes conveyed the offense in her mind.

"Look… I care about Little Izu, too. But you have to keep your priorities straight. Don't get distracted with protecting him when you have your own future to worry about. Despite his circumstances, Little Izu seems to be doing alright. If you two want to be friends again, that's fine. But remember what your priorities are. Understand?"

Makoto swallowed a lump in her throat. While she had decided to rebel, she could only do so in secret. Resisting her sister too strongly would only make things worse. With that in mind, Makoto nodded. "I do. I promise that he's not a distraction."

Sae watched her only for a moment longer before nodding again. "Good. I'm going to take a shower first if you don't mind. I just came by to wash up a bit and eat before heading back."

"S-Sure, go ahead. I'll whip something up for you real quick," Makoto nodded, watching as her sister walked past her and headed for the bathroom.

 _Sorry, sis. But I'm going to do what I want, now. As a Phantom Thief._

* * *

"S-Sorry to ask you to do this all of a sudden…" Ann said hesitantly as she watched Yusuke collect his art supplies.

"Oh, it's no problem. But, as I told you yesterday, Sensei will be returning in twenty to thirty minutes. So um… I'm sorry if that causes some anxiety on your part" Yusuke said, sounding genuinely apologetic despite the circumstances.

"That's why I'm here today, damn it…" Ann couldn't stop herself from muttering, getting a small jab from Makoto in the side.

"What was that?" Yusuke asked, looking back at her in question.

"O-Oh, nothing. She's just nervous," Makoto sheepishly laughed, waving a hand.

"R-Right, don't mind me," Ann quickly nodded.

"I see. By the way…" Yusuke gave Ann another look in wonder. "Have you gained some weight?"

Despite what would normally be a rude question, it wasn't without merit. Ann was clad in an entire wardrobe of clothing, making her look rather plump all around. It should have been rather obvious that it was clothing from Makoto's perspective, but they had somehow fooled Yusuke.

"You think so? I weigh the same as usual. Maybe I'm a bit bloated today?" Ann shrugged, earning a raised brow.

"If you say so… now before we begin, I must make this clear to you, Niijima-san," Yusuke shifted his attention to the third year, his brow knitting sternly. "While I have no qualms with you being her to reassure Takamaki-san, I do not wish to speak of Sensei and his affairs like before. Are we clear?"

"Yes, crystal," Makoto nodded in understanding.

"Alright then. Let's get started," Yusuke shifted his attention to Ann.

"Started… right… as in, you want me to take off my clothes… right?"

"Yes, that is correct…" Yusuke said with hesitance.

"Okay then… could you turn around for me? I'm still nervous…" Ann asked, reaching down for the bottom of the first shirt on the surface. Yusuke silently turned his back to Ann obediently. Pulling off the first article of clothing, she made a point to toss it within his range of sight.

"Er…" Yusuke made a nervous sound when it landed by his feet, but attempted to keep his cool.

"There we go!"

He recoiled when a skirt landed at his feet.

"Much better. That was so tight…"

"Tight..?" Yusuke mumbled, his skin glistening with sweat as his mind momentarily ran wild. He quickly shook his head. "N-No. I'm doing this for art. Nothing else..!"

"What was that?"

"N-Nothing…" Yusuke mumbled, flinching as a pair of leggings flew just past him.

"By the way, you said that your sensei would be here soon, right?" Ann asked, smirking at Makoto as the third-year held in a fit of giggles next to her.

"Y-Yes, he will…"

"Hm… do you think we could do this somewhere else, then? A little more atmosphere would be lovely…" Ann said hopefully, pulling another piece of clothing among the pile from her body.

"This should be good enough…" Yusuke suggested, raising a brow in wonder.

"But…. wouldn't a room with a _lock_ be a bit better..?"

"A lock..?"

"Must a girl say more..?" A tank top slid between his legs.

Yusuke quickly scooted away. "B-But… the only room with a lock here is… sensei's room…"

"Then~ why not there?" Ann asked hopefully.

"I can't intrude… besides, I don't have a key."

"Well, there's your answer. It's your turn, Mona," Makoto whispered to the cat, opening her shoulder bag and setting it on the floor.

"Got it. Leave it to me," the cat said, pulling a hairpin out of Makoto's bag with his teeth and hopping out.

"Takamaki-san, are you about-" Yusuke turned around, blinking when he saw a mound of clothes sitting on the ground. "You were wearing all this?"

"It's… pretty cold today, don't you think?" Ann lamely excused.

"I… suppose so?" Yusuke wasn't sure if it was _that_ cold. "The sun is starting to set…"

"Ri~ght? That's why a change of location would be perfect!" Ann suggested, striking a ditzy pose.

"True…" Yusuke mumbled, giving her suggestion some thought. "It might make for a better picture if my model's mood has improved…"

"Uh-huh! That's right!"

"She might even be willing to try out various expressive poses for more dynamic composition…" Yusuke smiled at the idea, causing both Makoto and Ann to flinch.

"Wh-What kind of-" Makoto quickly gripped Ann's arm, putting on a plastic smile.

"I-I have to agree! I mean, after all, how could any girl feel comfortable in such a-a dimly lit room! A change of scenery would certainly fuel your creativity!" Makoto said in support, pulling the door open. "Th-Think of the variety that might be had in a better atmosphere! C-Come on, Ann. Let's try and find somewhere else!"

"Y-You're totally right, Makoto! Let's go~!" Ann said, giving the third year a thumbs up as the two headed out of the room.

"Wait, if you wander around, sensei will..." Yusuke was cut short when Ann's jacket flew into his doorway.

"Oooh~, it's so~ hot!"

Yusuke had to swallow a lump in his throat and compose himself. "P-Please, Takamaki-san! This really is no other room we can use!"

"He~y, how about this one?"

"Please, wait!"

* * *

Izuku and Ryuji stood in front of the lasers patiently, staring up at the gaudily designed door.

"You really think they can handle this? It seems like they've gotta deal with a lot," Ryuji asked, glancing at Izuku.

"I believe in them. I'm sure that Koto-san and Ann-senpai will be able to handle their part of the plan just as much as Morgana-san."

"I guess… but… Ann was sayin' stuff like 'I'll just seduce him with my acting'. But that sounds _way_ outta her league, if you ask me," Ryuji stuffed his hands in his pockets as he turned to Izuku. "But maybe Makoto can make up for that. Is she a decent actor?"

"Um… well… I mean, she's…" Izuku began to sweat, scratching his cheek nervously at the thought.

"That's not reassurin'. But settin' that aside for a sec, even if Mona opens up the door, how the hell's he gonna show it to Madarame? And even if he manages that, won't Madarame just close it up real quick? If that happens, don't that mean we only got a few seconds to get in? If I'm bein' honest, it feels like it'll take a miracle for all of this to work out."

Izuku looked down in thought, feeling all of Ryuji's worries pile on him as well. But only a moment later, he looked back at Ryuji and gave a big grin.

"This might sound really optimistic, but… I'd say we've pulled off a few miracles by now, haven't we? I believe they'll manage somehow."

Ryuji felt a smirk play on his lips, giving a small nod back. "Heh. When you put it like that, it makes me feel pretty good about this, too. Alright, here's hopin' they show us another miracle."

* * *

"Hey, Makoto~! Have you found a suitable place yet~?" Ann called, beginning to sweat as she tried to keep an even pace ahead of Yusuke.

"P-Please, ladies, you really can't!" Yusuke cried in panic.

"Why, Ann! I think I've found the perfect place!" Makoto answered, tilting her head not-so-inconspicuously toward the end of another hall.

"Is he done?!" Ann whispered loudly.

"N-No, not yet. W-We have to stall!" Makoto urged, looking to the side to see Morgana hanging from the door and fiddling with the lock.

"I keep telling you, I will be in grave trouble!" Yusuke almost pleaded as he caught up with the girls. Seeing their confused faces, he raised a brow. "Is... something the matter?"

"O-Oh, nothing, just… wondering what's in there!" Ann said, putting on her 'act' again.

"That room? It's storage for old paintings," Yusuke said, looking between the girls. "There's not much to see, I would think."

Makoto shared a look with Ann. "Old paintings..?"

"W-Well, why don't we use that room, then? We'll have the most privacy in there, right?" Ann suggested, supposedly turning up her charm.

"A-As Ann's confidant in this, I do think that this would be the most appropriate place for something like a nude painting!" Makoto added, holding up her index finger like it would get her point across.

"Only sensei can go in there," Yusuke explained, biting his bottom lip.

"Ple~ase? We're just trying to get… comfortable," Ann said, swaying her hips back and forth to seem more appealing.

"Is he _really_ going to buy that terrible act?!" Morgana whispered.

"F-Focus, would you?!" Ann hissed back at him.

"Hm?" Yusuke blinked, seeing her attention being drawn away.

"D-Don't mind her. We-we're just trying to figure out the best way inside that room! How else can you make the perfect portrait?" Makoto asked, taking a step in front of Ann and giving a disturbingly forced smile.

"B-But sensei won't like us poking around! B-Besides, I don't have the key!" Yusuke reasoned, only for Ann to put on a pout.

"But Yu~suke, how else do you expect me to get fully n-naked for a portrait?" Ann hugged her arms, sticking her chin up. "I-If that's how you're going to be, then **I'm** leaving!"

"W-Wait, let's not be so hasty!" Yusuke protested, putting his hands up to keep her from walking out.

"Come on~! Let's just do the painting in there!" Ann pushed, her actions beginning to make Yusuke sweat as he hopelessly looked to Makoto for any sort of out.

"What the model wants, she should get!"

He should have known he had no support there.

"Wh-What do I do..?" Yusuke mumbled, looking down in misery.

"I'm home."

The four (including Morgana) flinched when they heard Madarame's voice.

"S-Sensei…" Yusuke muttered in fear, turning around to look at the main entrance. Ann and Makoto exchanged glances before running back to the door, Morgana still hanging from the lock and fiddling with it.

"I-Is it open yet?! We're out of time!" Ann asked, looking back and forth between the hall and the door.

"A-Almost, I-" Morgana fumbled the hairpin in his mouth, the pressure suddenly making him mess up. "C-Crap!"

"Yusuke, what are you doing?" They heard Madarame's voice approaching.

"S-Sensei, I-I can explain…"

"H-Here, let me try. If I absorb some metal I should-" Makoto started, only for Ann to step forward and quickly snatch Morgana off the lock.

"Take him," Ann said as she shoved him into Makoto's arms. Ann massaged her jaw for a moment before leaning forward and snapping her jaws shut on the ring of the padlock. She let out a low growl and furiously tugged the lock off the door, easily breaking it off and spitting the lock on the ground.

"Ugh. The lock was kinda dusty," Ann spat, trying to get the taste off her tongue.

"And you said you were afraid to get on my bad side…" Makoto muttered with a sheepish smirk.

"P-Please, Takamaki-san. You have to explain-" Yusuke came around the corner, eyes widening in horror as he saw the storage room door being pushed open. "Wh-What?"

"Yusuke, what is going on?!" Madarame asked, his voice on edge as he rounded the corner. "Who opened that door?!"

"S-Sensei, this isn't what it looks like!" Yusuke quickly spun around, holding up his hands as sweat trailed down his face. Ann and Makoto looked at one another before reaching forward and grabbing Yusuke by the collar, quickly pulling him into the room as they went inside. "A-Ah!"

"Not in there!"

* * *

"Huh?"

Izuku and Ryuji spread their arms to balance themselves as the Palace around them began to shake, both looking up at the painted door. It slid open on both sides and the lasers deactivated immediately afterward.

Ryuji grinned. "It's off! They seriously did it!"

"I knew they would. Let's go!" Izuku smiled back, not wasting another moment before running through the newly opened path with Ryuji at his side. Past the doors was yet another gaudily designed hallway like the rest. Izuku saw a Shadow waiting in the doorway at the end of a hall. With little room to hide, he spared a look at his partner.

"We're going to have to fight that Shadow head-on. Ready?"

"Ready as ever, man," Ryuji smirked, giving him a thumbs up as they both picked up their pace.

"H-Hey, you two! Halt!" The Shadow ordered. Izuku and Ryuji didn't listen, both pulling out their close ranged weapons and assuming fighting stances the moment they were close enough.

"Sorry, asshole, but we're bustin' our way through you!" Ryuji laughed, pointing his bat at the Shadow and glaring. "No way we're gonna screw this up. Not after Ann was able to get the doors open. She'll tear us a new one way worse than you could!"

"Hmph. If you won't stop, then I will force you both to surrender!" The Shadow growled, its body morphing into a pile of black ooze before taking shape as the large white Shadow they had fought the previous day with Makoto.

"Let's take this asshole out, Hero!" Ryuji called out, rushing forward with Izuku. A bat and staff were raised in the air, slamming into the sides of the monster. But to their surprise, the hit didn't phase it in the least as it stood there.

"C-Crap, it's impervious to physical attacks!" Izuku exclaimed, immediately hopping back with Ryuji as they avoided a bullet shot from the Shadow's hand.

"What a pain in the ass! But whatever, we can handle that much!" Ryuji growled, quickly putting a hand on his mask. "Captain Kidd!"

The pirate Persona took shape above him, quickly unleashing a volley of lightning from its arm cannon. The Shadow slightly recoiled from the blast but remained standing.

"You intruders have no place here!" The Shadow snarled, snapping its fingers and fired a hail of bullets at Ryuji.

The punk teen grit his teeth as Kidd shielded hit from a direct hit, grunting as the damage which transferred to him. "Damn it!"

"I don't have a Persona with an ability like Queen's! We'll have to keep hitting it!" Izuku touched his mask, Koppa Tengu forming above him. "Garu!"

A gale of wind blasted into the Shadow, yielding the same result as Ryuji's attack and only causing it to recoil again.

"You intruders are getting on my nerves!" It growled, waving its hand in front of itself and bathing itself in the familiar light of Tarukaja.

"Be careful! It powered up!" Izuku warned, putting some more distance between him and the Shadow. "We'll have to keep building up damage!"

"Got it!" Ryuji nodded, getting into a runner's stance. "Let's make it hard for this guy to stop us, too!"

"You can't escape me!" The Shadow growled, pointing its hand forward and firing another gunshot. Ryuji and Izuku were already on the move though. The Shadow's attack whizzed past their heads as they started to run in a circle around the Shadow. It looked around at them in confusion, trying to bear down on one of them but struggling.

"Garu!" Izuku called out again, a gust smashing into its side and throwing off its aim before the Shadow could get a shot off. It growled in frustration, taking aim at Izuku once again.

"Blast 'em!"

A bolt of lightning seared its back, causing the Shadow to groan in pain as it staggered on its feet. "Y-You damn intruders! Madarame will-"

" **Now!** "

Captain Kidd flying at the Shadow's face while Koppa Tengu approached from behind at their masters' commands. The pirate Persona put its cannon right in the Shadow's face and unleashed a blast of lightning while the tengu stacked the damage by blasting its back with a powerful gale. The Shadow cried out in misery before the damage became too much, its body dissipating into black ooze.

Izuku and Ryuji took a moment to catch their breath, smiling at one another and quickly clasping hands together.

"Hell yeah! No one can stop the two of us!" Ryuji cheered.

"Nice work, Skull!" Izuku replied. "Come on, let's turn off the security system! We should hurry before more Shadows show up!"

* * *

"Th-This is bad!" Yusuke whispered in the darkness, his voice shaking.

"Is this the light switch?" Ann asked as she felt a hanging cord from the ceiling. She quickly tugged it, turning on a ceiling light. As the room lit up, the four were met with a strange sight that took them all aback:

An entire line of Sayuri paintings placed by the wall, numbering around ten. At the center of the room was a single, covered stand, though it hadn't grabbed any of their immediate attention.

"What the..?" Yusuke sputtered, eyes widening in confusion as he looked at the paintings in wonder.

"That's the Sayuri, but… why are there so many of them?" Ann asked.

"I have no idea…" Yusuke's eyes scanned the room while his brain struggled to process what he's seeing.

Makoto held a hand to her mouth. "Is he… reproducing them..?"

"Get out!" Madarame barked as he entered the room. The three shifted their gaze to him. His gentle facade had been replaced with a furious glare.

"Sensei, what is the meaning of this?" Yusuke asked, stepping forward in his desperation.

Madarame looked at Yusuke for a moment before sighing, holding a hand to his head as he assumed a more vulnerable expression. "I suppose I can't keep quiet about this, now… I'm sorry to say that I'm in severe debt. I handmade these 'Sayuri' copies and sold them through a special connection of mine."

"But why…?" Yusuke asked. His voice conveying hurt as he looked back at the paintings.

"The real Sayuri was stolen from me by one of my former pupils a long time ago. He likely begrudged my strictness. That event was a great shock to me. Since then, I've been mired in a terrible artist's block," Madarame continued, his voice becoming more sullen as he spoke. "Because of my distress, some of my pupils handed over their ideas to me from time to time…"

Makoto and Ann shared a look of distrust for his words, allowing their eyes to drift back to the paintings by the wall. Morgana, on the other hand, peered at the veiled painting against the wall.

"I knew I couldn't keep doing that forever, and attempted to recreate the Sayuri a number of times… However, it resulted in nothing more than replicas. That's when someone came by to purchase the paintings, knowing full well they weren't original," Madarame released a depressed sigh, shaking his head. "It was all my fault. I couldn't pay the price of being famous. In the end, as expectations rose, I had no choice but to keep making them. I… I needed money to keep furthering your talents. Please forgive me for being a cowardly teacher…"

Yusuke's expression had softened considerably, his eyes sympathetic to his master. "P-Please, don't…"

"This sounds a little fictitious to me," Makoto spoke up, bringing their attention to her. "What about you, Ann?"

"Yeah, you're right… This doesn't make much sense to me either. How were you able to recreate the Sayuri if you don't have the original?" Ann asked, raising a brow in suspicion.

"I… happened upon a fairly detailed image of it in a book," Madarame hesitantly explained.

Makoto knit her brow. "Being able to reproduce copies of an original from a photo sounds rather unlikely. Even if the art was made by you, the details needed to keep the paintings consistent wouldn't be conveyed in a photo."

"Yeah! People who buy paintings like that usually have a keen eye for fine arts," Ann added, looking at Makoto and Yusuke for a moment. "They'd be able to pick a fake from a photo out real easy."

"What would you know?!" Madarame snapped back, glaring at the girls again.

"Psst! Hey!" The girls looked down at the ground to see Morgana. "The one covered up here! It seems different!"

Ann spun around and yanked the cloth off before Madarame or Yusuke could protest. It revealed another painting of Sayuri. Both girls eyed Madarame suspiciously. It was one thing if it was a fake, but Yusuke's heart skipped a beat the moment he laid eyes on it.

"Wait… that's…" Yusuke took a step closer to inspect it. "That's the real Sayuri!" He whipped his head back to look at Madarame in confusion. "But you just said the real Sayuri was stolen!"

"That's a replica!" Madarame exclaimed, his composure quickly fading.

"No! It's nothing of the sort!" Yusuke declared, pointing an accusing finger at his master. "This painting kept me going… it's the reason I made it this far… Sensei… don't tell me…"

"T-That's a fake, I'm telling you! A counterfeit! I… I heard a counterfeit was going around, so I bought it!"

"You're telling me that the original artist bought a counterfeit of his own work? That's really pushing it," Ann huffed, placing a hand on her hip.

"You're lying, sensei. Please, just tell us the truth…" Yusuke asked, taking a step forward as he tried to understand.

"Now you too…?" Madarame narrowed his eyes, looking at the three in anger. He pulled a phone out of his sleeve, taking a step forward and brandishing it at them like a gun. "I've just reported you all to my private security company."

"What?!" Makoto and Ann blurted.

"I hired them on to deal with some troublesome paparazzi. Who would have thought they would come in so handy?" Madarame smirked triumphantly.

"W-Wait, sensei! Let's talk about this!" Yusuke pleaded, confused by the sudden turn of events.

"You can talk all you want with the police… that includes you, Yusuke," Madarame declared, glaring at his pupil cruelly.

"Lady Ann, Makoto! We need to run!" Morgana said, poking his head out from behind a shelf.

The girls didn't need to be told twice, quickly making a break for the door with Morgana taking the lead. They ducked past Madarame before he could stop them.

"Don't even bother! They'll be here within two minutes!" Madarame barked after them, wrinkling his nose in annoyance.

"Ladies, please wait!" Yusuke called out, quickly giving chase with little idea of what else to do.

* * *

"Those intruders are around here somewhere! Find them!"

Izuku and Ryuji didn't wait around in the security office to get cornered. They were already booking it back to the place they started, hoping to put enough distance between them and the Shadows that they wouldn't be in danger of another fight.

They skidded to a stop, watching as the previously deactivated laser system had suddenly disappeared, lowering into the ground and posing no more threat.

Ryuji pumped his fist. "Alright! Looks like we can go through here with no worries!"

"Yeah. Let's retreat to the safe room and wait to see if the others were able to escape. They did say they would come to the Palace if they needed to," Izuku suggested, earning a nod from his partner before the two pushed forward.

"Nooo~!"

"This isn't good!"

Izuku and Ryuji came to a halt before leaving the courtyard. Looking up, they saw a strange cloud of black and red form. Ann, Makoto and Morgana came flying out of it moments later. And strangely enough, Yusuke.

"Oh, n-" Izuku gawked, instinctively sticking his arms out to catch one of them. He ended up with Makoto landing not-so-gently in his arms. He yelped in pain as he fell flat on his back.

"Shit, Ann!" Ryuji took a step forward, only to pause as Yusuke landed on his feet with surprising grace. He held strong as Ann landed in his arms bridal style. It would have looked rather impressive had Morgana landed smack dab on top of his head not a second later.

"Aggggh! Ow~!" Morgana whined as he bounced off the artist and landed face first into the ground.

"Ugh…" Yusuke groaned, having fallen to one knee after Morgana hit him.

"I thought I was gonna die…" Ann muttered before looking up at Yusuke and wiggling. "H-Hey! Will you let go already?!" Ann jabbed Yusuke with her elbow until he painfully rolled off of her.

"Hn…"

"O-Oh my god, I didn't mean to push you so hard! Are you alright?!" Ann asked, sitting up from the ground.

"Ow…" Makoto groaned. She slowly pushed herself up and shook her head before looking down. She was lying on top of a dazed Izuku. "O-Oh, Midori! Are you okay?!"

"Y-Yeah… just fine…" Izuku mumbled weakly. Once his eyes focused again, he saw Makoto hovering just above him. His cheeks burned and his skinned reddened faster than any boiling lobster.

 _SoclosesoclosesoclosesoCLOSE~! H-Her outfit is skintight, too!_

"Wh-What's wrong? Did you…" Makoto trailed her eyes down, her voice hitching as she realized what it was. She leaped off of him and stood up, clearing her throat. "S-Sorry about that! And… thank you for catching me…"

"Y-Yeah… don't worry about it…" Izuku squeaked when his brain let him produce something other than garbled nonsense. He averted his gaze from her and retreated backward a few steps once he got to his feet. It took seeing Yusuke among them for Izuku to snap him back to his senses.. "K-Kitagawa-san?!"

"Uh oh. Looks like we brought him along by accident…" Makoto sighed, the Phantom Thieves gathering around the artist waiting for him to regain consciousness.

"Wh-What..?" Yusuke mumbled, rubbing the bump on his head that Morgana gave him. He slowly sat up but froze when he saw the group standing around him. "W-Who are you all?!"

"C-Calm down, Kitagawa-kun! It's me!" Ann said, raising her hands and trying to get his attention.

"Takamaki-san..?" Yusuke blinked before looking over at Makoto who stood close by and waved awkwardly. His eyes then shifted to Izuku and Ryuji, raising a brow. "Then… that would make you two… where are we? And I don't recall you getting dressed in a catsuit…"

"We're inside Madarame's heart," Ann suggested, unsure how else to put it.

"Inside sensei's heart..?" Yusuke blinked, his eyes darting around as he climbed to his feet and looked around. "I'm sorry, Takamaki-san, but… are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"She ain't lyin'. This is how that bastard sees that shack you live in. He's nothin' but a greedy money grubbin' bastard," Ryuji explained this time, kicking the ground at his feet.

"Enough of this rubbish!"

"Kitagawa-kun! Didn't it cross your mind that something was off with Madarame?" Ann asked.

"That's…" Yusuke would not dare look her in the eye.

"Kitagawa-san… it might be hard to believe, but it's true. This reality is how Madarame sees the world around him. Specifically that shack you live in," Izuku explained, giving a sympathetic frown. "This is his true nature."

Yusuke took a moment to look around, his nose wrinkling in disgust. "This… repulsive world… Just who are all of you?!"

Ryuji shrugged. "I guess you could say… we're like Heroes but not legit or anything. We change the hearts of rotten crooks who the cops can't or won't bust."

"Madarame's hurt a lot of people, Kitagawa-san. We've met with a victim and know about several more," Izuku said, his brow hardening. "Victims who were silenced by his influence. We're here to answer their call for help. And yours."

Yusuke's eyes widened for a moment before his gaze fell to the ground, dejected. "If… if what you say is true, then the sensei I know doesn't exist…"

"It's true, man. You gotta snap out of it," Ryuji pushed, only for Yusuke to turn his back to them.

"Still, that doesn't take away the fact that he's raised me these past ten years. My gratitude for him won't disappear so easily…"

"Kitagawa-kun, think! Think for yourself!" Makoto pushed, taking a step forward. "Madarame's tossed aside so many pupils! It's only a matter of time until-"

"Ngh!" Yusuke heaved, falling to his knees and gripping his stomach.

"K-Kitagawa-san! Are you alright?!" Izuku knelt beside him in worry.

"Are you okay?" Ann asked, kneeling next to them.

"I-I'm… trying to be rational about this, but… my emotions are overwhelming me…" Yusuke admitted solemnly.

"Sorry, but we don't have time to dawdle! The security level's gone through the roof!" Morgana announced. "We need to get out of here at once!"

"Alright! Let's head for the safe room, everyone!" Izuku said, offering a hand to Yusuke. "Here, lean on my shoulder."

"N-No, that's alright," Yusuke shook his head, standing slowly on his own. "I'll… manage."

Izuku watched him with concern but gave a nod in understanding. "Okay. This place is dangerous though, so stay close behind us. We'll get you out of here."

With that, ran to the end of the hall before the door. As they approached, Izuku held up a hand, bringing the others to a halt.

"Where are they?! The intruders should be around here somewhere!" They heard a Shadow bark, causing them to quickly hide behind a bush in the hall. Peering around the fountain, Izuku clicked his tongue when he saw at least four Shadow guards patrolling around the safe room.

"W-What are those things..?" Yusuke asked, bewildered.

"No time to explain right now. Come on, there's too many of them that way. I don't want to put Kitagawa-san in danger by starting a fight. We'll have to take the long way out," Izuku told them, waving for the others to follow him down the opposite hall. The others obeyed, quickly following his lead into the next area.

Yusuke found himself slowing down as they entered another exhibit. "So this… is inside of Madarame's heart? A vain museum like this..?"

The others shot him a look of concern but said nothing, focusing on their escape as they pressed onward. Yusuke thankfully followed, but his eyes never stopped wandering. As they entered the next exhibit hall, his eyes landed on one of the portraits, causing him to come to a full stop.

"Ah, this painting…" He mumbled in recognition. The others came to a stop, looking at the portrait that caught his attention. It was of a young girl in a school uniform, though none of them recognized her.

"Do you know her? We were thinking these might be the past pupils or something," Ann asked, looking back at Yusuke curiously.

Yusuke didn't answer her, instead asking, "But… why are there paintings of them here..?"

"Technically, those aren't paintings. They represent the pupils themselves," Morgana explained, looking up at Yusuke sympathetically.

"We're pretty sure it's 'cause Madarame only sees his pupils as objects…. And uh…" Ryuji started, rubbing his head awkwardly.

"We saw your portrait here, too," Makoto said as she walked up to his side. Yusuke's eyes narrowed at the painting but he remained silent, pain and anger crossing his face.

"Let's go… I've had enough of this place."

The others looked at one another for a moment before nodding, Izuku taking the lead again.

The trek was surprisingly quiet from then on, but Izuku knew better than to relax just yet. They soon entered the main hall with the statue of Madarame's pupils but didn't have time to dwell on it as they aimed to make for the exit. But two Shadows sprouted from the ground just as they reached the double doors, stopping them in their tracks.

"Darn it, the exit's right there!" Morgana hissed. He and the others quickly drew their weapons in preparation for the inevitable fight.

"Hahahahaha~!"

Yusuke quickly snapped his head back, eyes widening when he saw none other than Madarame approaching them from behind with two Shadows at his side. "S-Sensei?"

Madarame's attire had none of the modesty of its counterpart in reality. His drab jinbei was replaced with a traditional golden kimono that glistened as brightly as the statue before him. His skin was caked in sickly pale makeup while his lips were dyed blood red with lipstick. His hair was styled into a topknot that resembled a paintbrush that Yusuke had seen in a history book.

"Tch! Talk about bullshit clothes! First a pervy king and now some kinda shogun?!" Ryuji spat in disgust.

"Welcome to the museum of the master artist, Madarame!" The Shadow introduced himself, giving a conniving grin.

"Is… Is that really you, sensei?" Yusuke mumbled, taking several steps toward the shadow. Izuku quickly stepped up next to him, putting a hand on his chest to keep him from getting too close. "Those clothes…"

"Disgusting!" Ann huffed.

"My usual ragged attire is nothing but an act!" Madarame's Shadow admitted without hesitation. "Besides, a celebrity living in that shack? Feh. I have another home. In a mistress's name, of course."

"Is there anything honest about you?!" Izuku pointed the tip of his staff at Madarame. "How far do your lies go?!"

Madarame stuck his nose in the air and scoffed. "Hmph! Like a child would understand the importance of maintaining my image."

"I figured his obsession with riches would be bad, but this is…" Makoto's eyes narrowed, biting the edge of her lip.

"If… If the Sayuri was stolen, why was it in the storage room?!" Yusuke asked, catching the Shadow's attention. "And if you had it the whole time, why would you make copies of it and sell them?! If… If it's really you, sensei, please tell me!"

"Foolish child. You still can't see?" Madarame huffed, looking down on his student. "The painting's theft was a false rumor I spread! It was all a perfectly calculated staging!"

Yusuke felt his heart stop. "What do you mean..?"

"Let me see… how does this sound?" The Shadow flashed a devious grin as he took a step closer to his student. "'I found the real painting, but it can't go public! You can have it for a special price, though…" Madarame let out a cruel laugh, shaking his head. "How's that for preferential treatment? Those art snobs'll eat it up and pay good cash at that!"

Yusuke fell to his knees, trembling as his worst fears came to fruition. "No…"

"Kitagawa-san…" Izuku knelt next to him but kept his staff ready and waiting.

"The worth of art is purely subjective! Thus, this is a perfectly legitimate business transaction!" Madarame declared looking down his nose at Yusuke. "Though I doubt a brat like you would ever come up with such a brilliant scheme!"

"You keep goin' on about money _this,_ money _that…_ No wonder you ended up with this disgusting museum!" Ryuji spat in disgust.

"You're supposed to be an artist! Aren't you at all ashamed of plagiarizing other people's work?!" Ann demanded.

"Art is nothing but a tool! A tool for gaining fame and wealth!" Madarame said without a care, his eyes shifting to his pupil. "You've helped me a great deal as well, Yusuke…"

"B-But what about the people who believe in you?! The people who see you as a master artist?!" Yusuke asked in desperation, looking for any redeeming feature from his mentor.

"… Due to your help, I'm willing to tell you this alone… do **not** rise up against me if you wish to be successful in the world of art," Madarame warned him. His golden eyes lost any semblance of warmth. "Do you think any artist could succeed in this world with **my** objection to hold them back? Hahahahahaha~!"

Yusuke's trembling worsened, his head sinking lower to the ground. "I was… under the care of this **wretched** man?"

"Did you think I took you in out of the kindness of my heart?! Hah!" Madarame laughed, his grin becoming twisted. "Plucking talented, yet troubled artists off the street lets me find promising pupils and take their ideas. After all, it's easy to steal the futures of children who can't fight back."

"I can't believe this…" Yusuke looked up at his master, his lip quivering as he tried to sort through the emotions racing through his head.

"How could you?!" Izuku exclaimed, his eyes hardening into a fierce glare. "Kitagawa-san has talked about nothing except how much he owes you! How much you've taken care of him! How could you treat that kind of devotion like nothing?!"

"Livestock are killed for their hide and meat! This is no different from that, you fool!" Madarame declared without an ounce of sympathy. "You think a farmer cares for the cattle he slaughters?! They fatten them up until they're ripe for the kill!"

"What a bastard…" Morgana huffed, hopping up next to Izuku.

"But I tire of this chat. It's time that I-"

"You… are unforgivable."

Madarame stopped, his eyes leering back at Yusuke. "Hm?"

"It doesn't matter who you are… I **won't** forgive you!" Yusuke declared, pushing up to his feet and giving his master a deathly glare.

"Hmph! So you repay my keeping you around with ingratitude? You damn brat!" Madarame huffed. "Guards! Dispose of these thieves at once!"

"Get back, Kitagawa-san!" Izuku said, preparing to engage the closest Shadow.

"Get behind us!" Ann said.

"How amusing…"

The thieves hesitated, looking back at the young artist as he gave an empty laugh.

"It seems the truth is stranger than fiction, hm..?" he said. A bemused smile spread across his lips. "I didn't want to believe it was true… I had clouded my vision for so long…" His expression fell as his head dipped in shame, holding a hand to his face. "My eyes were truly blind. Blind, and unable to see the true self behind this horrible man!"

 _ **Have you finally come to your senses?**_

Yusuke felt like his head was being gripped and crushed like an eggshell, eyes widening as they turned a shade of gold. He buckled over, gripping the side of his head in pain.

 _ **How foolishly you averted your eyes from the truth…**_

Yusuke groaned in pain, swaying back and forth as the voice echoed louder in his mind.

Izuku's breath hitched at the display before him. "No… way… Kitagawa-san… he's…"

 _ **A deplorable imitation indeed… Best you part from that aspect of yourself!**_

"It can't be… this guy actually has that potential…?" Morgana muttered.

Yusuke let out an agonizing cry, falling to his knees and gripping the ground. His nails dug so deeply into the floor that his fingers began to bleed as he dragged them across.

 _ **Let us form a contract. I am thou, thou art I… The world is filled with both beauty and vice…**_

In a flash of blue flame, a mask resembling a kitsune's face appeared on his face.

 _ **It is time that you teach people which is which!**_

Yusuke slowly rose to his feet, eyes boring into Madarame as the con artist recoiled in fear.

"Very well…" With a swift and graceful tug, Yusuke drew the mask from his face.

"Come… **Goemon**!"

 **To be continued…**

 **Well, that was quite a packed chapter. I'll admit, I feel pretty strange ending this chapter on the same note as the previous one, but I think it just works out for the story. We got through a lot of the necessary canon things this chapter that are honestly unavoidable. Even with the changes that exist in the story, certain aspects can't be completely transformed, only adjusted. A lot of reused dialogue that kind of irked me a bit, but I'll own up to it.**

 **Anyways, sorry for the wait, but as you all know, I stick to a rather tight monthly release schedule for my stories at the moment. I've got three stories in the works with another one soon to come. I won't let any one of them distract from the rest and will do my utmost to update on schedule as I have. Just please, be patient.**

 **Also, a heads up for you FFN readers, you should also give the SB page a look when you can. I've written several snippets for the story both for fun in some cases and, for my most recent ones, gifts for friends who've helped me out quite a bit. There's also a few pieces of art on the page that relate to the story for you all to look at as well. If you want some added fun, check them out!**

 **Anyways, that's it for this chapter. The next one, things we'll be entering the final phase of this arc, I suppose. I hope you all enjoyed it, please leave a follow, a favorite and a like if you'd be so kind :)**


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: I own neither My Hero Academia or the Persona series**

Chapter 26

Yusuke Kitagawa wasn't someone Izuku expected to possess a Persona. Yusuke, while somewhat hostile at times, had always been loyal to a fault even in the face of the worst truths about Madarame. He never seemed the rebellious type, nor one who would stand up in the face of his mentor's Shadow. People have their breaking point of course, but normally they would crumble like Madarame's previous victims, especially after hearing the truth from the horse's mouth.

So when Yusuke summoned Goemon, Izuku was genuinely shocked

Speaking of the Persona, Goemon was an entirely different beast itself. His skin was as pale as Carter's and his hair was shaped into a pompadour that jutted from the top of his head. He was dressed in a flowing blue haori emblazoned with dragons, clouds, the number "5" and "Ixicava". The pink, leopard-spotted inner lining stood out against the diamond-patterned shirt underneath. Purple and white braided ropes wrapped around his shoulders while a similar, bell-adorned rope circled his waist. The geta he wore were absurdly tall and a locked choker bound his neck.

In his hands was an absurdly long smoking pipe as long as he was tall, decorated with a golden sakura pattern and a razor-edged axe beneath the bowl.

"Imitations they may be, but together they make a fine spectacle," Yusuke said, his eyes leering across the guards protecting Madarame. "Though the flowers of evil blossom, be it known… abominations are fated to perish!"

With a wave of his hand, a frigid wind burst forth from Yusuke's position, flash freezing and shattering all of the Shadows surrounding him. Madarame held up his arm as he withstood the wave, gritting his teeth before looking around to see that his guards had been destroyed.

"Hmph! Who do you think you are?!" Madarame glared at Yusuke venomously. "The punishment for such insolence is death! Guards! Get back here and finish them off!"

Several black pools formed around Madarame again, sprouting new guards to life.

"The children who adored you as 'father'. The prospect of your pupils. How many did you trample upon?" Yusuke asked as he leveled a heated glare at his former Sensei. "How many dreams did you exchange for riches?! No matter what it takes, I will bring you to justice!"

"And so will we!" Izuku declared, stepping up next to Yusuke with his staff in hand. "We'll back you up, Kitagawa-san!"

Yusuke's gaze trailed to Izuku, watching as Makoto stepped up next to him while Morgana, Ryuji and Ann took up his right side. Yusuke gave a determined grin and nodded, shifting his gaze back forward. "Thank you. Now, let us begin! Bring it on!"

Madarame huffed, taking several steps back as his guards' bodies melted apart, the black ooze quickly forming several familiar Shadows of Toppa Tengu and one unfamiliar and large beast. Its hulking body was covered in striped yellow fur save for its white mane. Its shadowed face was featureless save for two beady red eyes and a fang-filled maw. It marked the floor with large pointed claws, letting out a low growl as it glared down at Yusuke and the Thieves.

"You intruders will pay for insulting Lord Madarame! Get on your knees and beg!" It said, taking a step toward the group with a hiss.

"I learned much from you, Madarame. In order to see authenticity, then one must be dispassionately realistic," said Yusuke, his eyes hovering back to his former master before going back to the Shadow. He put a hand over his face and an arm over his stomach, assuming a more dramatic pose. "With Goemon by my side, I can now ascertain your true self without any reservations!"

"Silence!" The large shadow growled, raising a clawed hand and attempting to slam it down on Yusuke.

The artist quickly dodged to the side, avoiding any damage as he pointed forward. "Strike, Goemon!"

The Persona raised its pipe up and swung it around like a blade, slicing into the Shadow's hide. The large beast groaned and stumbled backward.

"What power! Yusuke's certainly no pushover!" said Morgana. "Well, come on, gang! We can't let him show us up, can we?"

"Heh, you're right about that!" Ryuji grinned, shifting his gaze to Izuku. "What're the orders, leader?"

"Back up Kitagawa-san! That Shadow seems strong, so it'll take all of us to take it down! I'll take out the smaller Shadows so we can focus on that one alone," Izuku ordered, earning nods from the others. He reached up for his mask, preparing to switch to Jack Frost with the knowledge of Koppa Tengu's weakness to ice.

"There is no need. Allow me," Yusuke said, causing the five to look at him in surprise. Narrowing his eyes at the crowd of Shadows now flying at them, Yusuke stomped his foot down.

"Feel the rage that was once frozen within my heart!"

Goemon mimicked his master, stamping the ground with all the theatrics of a kabuki actor. Pillars of ice erupted from its feet, engulfing each of the Koppa Tengu. Izuku and the others gawked in awe, amazed at the natural power that Yusuke and his Persona possessed.

"Don't give them a moment to recover! Let's finish them off!" Makoto said, gripping the knuckle dusters in her palms before rushing forward.

"Right! Everyone, together!" Izuku quickly followed suit with Ann and Ryuji doing the same. Jumping in the air, the Thieves slammed their weapons into the partially frozen Shadows, quickly destroying them before they could recover.

"You brats won't get away with that!" The lone but largest Shadow roared, lunging at the four from behind. Before it could get close, a gust of wind and ice smashed into its side, knocking it off balance though it remained on all fours.

"Nice try! You're not going to be blindsiding us so easily!" Morgana scoffed, pointing his scimitar at the Shadow mockingly.

"I won't allow you to hurt those who have shown me my error in judgement. Come at me!" Yusuke exclaimed, a katana now formed at his side.

"It won't matter either way! You'll all die here for insulting Lord Madarame!" the Shadow hissed, slamming a fist into the ground. Black energy rippled towards them in a wave, tearing up the carpet and shaking the nearby exhibits..

"Watch out, everyone!" Izuku warned, raising his staff and arms up as the wave hit him. A visage of Carter's upper body formed around him, reducing the damage to an insignificant level to Izuku. While the others had blocked in time, the struggle with the damage they took was move apparent.

"Tch. This guy ain't a joke," Ryuji huffed, rubbing his forearms in minor pain.

"With all six of us though, I'm sure we'll take him down quick," Ann said confidently, placing a fist over her chest.

"Don't let your guard down. It's obvious that this opponent's tougher than most," Makoto reminded her, assuming a fighting stance.

"We just need to exploit its weakness and strike once its been knocked down," Izuku suggested, reaching up to his mask. "Anything, Mona?"

"It resisted ice easily enough and the wind only seemed to deal moderate damage," Morgana said as the Thieves cautiously circled their opponent.

"Let's test everything out. Skull, Panther! Your turn!" said Izuku, who rushed at the Shadow with his staff in hand.

"Allow me to assist!" Yusuke quickly rushed to the opposite side of the Shadow. Their enemy whirled around as it struggled to pick a target. With a small grunt, it raised both arms, hoping to slam them down on both thieves at the same time.

"Don't even think about it!"

A bolt of lightning course through the Shadow, briefly stunning it, though it didn't seem to be super effective.

"Lightning's out! Your turn, Panther!" Makoto said, summoning Johanna and revving her up as she prepared to move.

"Got it! Dance, Carmen!" Ann threw off her mask, her red-skinned Persona taking shape and lashing out with several balls of flame. This time, the response was immediate. The Shadow roared in pain, falling on its back as the flames seared its fur.

"Nice, Panther! Now let's do it!" Izuku called out, he and Yusuke jumping up and bringing their weapons down upon their prone foe. To Izuku's surprise, the Shadow didn't disappear. It was weakened, but attempted to bat them away, rolling on its stomach and forcing the two to fall back out of its range.

"You little brats!" It snarled, pushing off the ground and clubbing a fist down at Izuku, who narrowly avoided it and rolled across the ground.

"Darn it! Looks like we need a bit more to finish it off!" Morgana cursed.

"That's not an issue. Let's finish this!" Makoto revved up her Persona again before speeding down the room past Izuku. Johanna's front tire crackled with orange energy as she accelerated toward the shadow

"Now! Vajra Blast!" Makoto exclaimed, lifting the front of her 'bike' up before slamming the tire directly into the Shadow's chest. A burst of power exploded, causing Makoto and her Persona to bounce back in the air while the Shadow was sent tumbling back.

"I'll end it!" Yusuke declared, drawing his mask again and summoning his Persona. "Rend him, Goemon!"

His Persona flew forward, rearing its pipe back again and this time slicing right through the Shadow. The monster roared one last time, thrashing about as it melted into black ooze and evaporated into nothingness.

Goemon faded away as the mask rematerialized across Yusuke's face. With the Shadows gone, Madarame was the only one left. HYusuke took several steps toward his former master, Madarame's Shadow recoiling at the murderous expression in his pupil's eyes. But that fear vanished as Yusuke's knee gave out beneath him.

The Palace ruler rediscovered his courage at the sight, glaring down at Yusuke heatedly. "Yusuke, you've just thrown your bright future down the drain. I'll destroy any chance you had of becoming an artist!"

"Madarame!" Yusuke growled, stumbling another step forward.

"You'll forever rue the day you dared to defy me!" Madarame huffed, putting his hands inside of his kimono's sleeves and turning away from the group.

"W-Wait! Get back here!" Yusuke growled, attempting to move forward again but all of his muscles locked up at once. "D-Damn it, my body won't move…"

"Be careful, Kitagawa-kun! You're way too drained after all that fighting and summoning your Persona," Ann said, putting a hand on his shoulder as she knelt next to him.

"Following him won't fix anything either," Izuku said, kneeling at his other side and offering a shoulder. "Come on, Kitagawa-san. We'll get you out of here."

Yusuke looked between the others, biting his bottom lip as his eyes trailed to the ground. "What a disgrace I am."

"C'mon, man. They're right. Let's get outta here," said Ryuji. Yusuke was silent for a moment before nodding, accepting Izuku's help to move around. They took him to the front lobby, seating him on one of the lounging couches to give him a moment to rest.

"Keep a lookout, guys. We'll rest for a bit, but we're still not safe here," Morgana said, his eyes darting around cautiously.

"I just… need a moment, and I'll be ready to move," Yusuke sighed, his eyes staring down at his hands.

"You've… known the whole time, haven't you?" Ann asked, sharing the thought on everyone's mind.

"I'm no fool… strange people have been coming by the house for years. And the plagiarism is a daily occurance," Yusuke admitted, his head dipping further with his words. "But… who would want to admit that the person they owed their life to was doing such terrible things?"

"Why didn't you leave, Kitagawa-kun?" Ann asked in minor confusion.

"Well… he was the one who created Sayuri. On top of that, I still owed him a great debt," Yusuke explained. "I never knew my father… and my mother passed away in an accident when I was three. That's when Sensei took me in. Apparently, he helped my mother while she was still alive. At least, that's what I heard."

"Heard?" Ann asked, sounding doubtful.

"To be honest, I don't know much about my mother either. I have very little memory of her. Madarame was like a father to me, but… he changed." Yusuke's face contorted in disgust. "To think he would treat the Sayuri, the very foundation of his art, like that…"

"You've been through a lot, huh?" Ryuji said with some sympathy.

"I thought things might have been difficult for you, but I hadn't realized how deep it ran…" Makoto admitted, looking at Yusuke with a small frown.

"When you had mentioned the plagiarism… deep down, I knew you were right. That's why I so vehemently denied you… for that, I'm sorry. I was simply running from the truth." Yusuke's eyes trailed up to Izuku. Izuku gave a sad smile but nodded.

"It's okay. I can't imagine how tough it must have been for you." He walked in front of Yusuke, getting on one knee in front of him so that they were eye level. "We're going to change his heart and make him confess to his crimes so he never hurts anyone else again. And I think… we could use you as a member of this team."

"Huh?!" The others blurted, looking at Izuku in shock. Even Yusuke's eyes lit up in confusion, but Izuku remained firm. Before more could be said though, batches of black ooze sprouted from the ground behind the couch, several guards materializing in front of them.

"Crap! We gotta go!" Ryuji said as he and the others stood up in alert.

"Hm? When did my clothes change?" Yusuke distractedly remarked, feeling the mask on his face.

"N-Now's not the time for that! Come on, Kitagawa-san!" Izuku said, grabbing his arm as he and the others bolted for the exit.

* * *

"I see… so it's because of that your P.E. teacher had a change of heart. I heard the rumors about the Phantom Thieves who steal hearts, but I imagined it was just a vengeful student with a powerful Quirk." Yusuke said. After escaping Madarame's Palace and putting distance between them and the shack, the Thieves were resting at the diner Ann and Ryuji visited the other day in Shibuya.

"Yeah... strangely enough, it's a lot more complicated than one person with a Quirk," Izuku admitted with a shy laugh.

"I'm sure it seems hard to believe, but it's all true. The Palace, its ruler and the relation it has to Madarame," Makoto said.

"Yes, I see very little room for doubt, honestly. After everything I've seen, it would be foolish to let common sense convince me otherwise." Yusuke leaned on his elbows. "So, your plan with Madarame-sensei-I mean, Madarame, is to make him go through a change of heart, correct?"

"That's right. We're planning to go back into the Palace the next chance we get," said Izuku. "This might seem sudden but after seeing you summon a Persona, I thought it would only be fair to give you the chance to join us in putting a stop to Madarame."

"You took us totally off guard when you asked him that," Ryuji said, raising a brow at Yusuke. "But I'm fine with it if you guys are. We're gonna take him down either way."

"Yeah… I can't imagine taking that from you would be fair. I'm okay with it," Ann nodded.

"Are you sure you're up for that, though? It's going to be dangerous," Makoto asked thoughtfully.

"Yes. If you'll have me, I would like to join you in the fight as a Phantom Thief as well," Yusuke answered without hesitation. "Had I faced reality sooner, this could have been avoided. I must put a stop to this for the sakes of the artists whose future were ruined by him. That… is the most civil thing I can do for the man who, in some manner, was my father."

"Civil, huh?" Ann muttered, understanding his intent.

"Just know that there's still a huge risk of causing a mental shutdown if we screw up," Morgana said, popping his head out of Izuku's bag. "We have ways to prevent that, but it isn't foolproof. Are you okay with that?"

"Madarame is a man who has the art world under his thumb. He has connections to many organizations. If someone like me raises my voice, it will only be snuffed out… And… I doubt that this is a case that Heroes can do anything within their power to put a stop to either. We have no other option." Yusuke rationalized.

"Kitagawa-kun…" Ann began, sparing a look at the others. With a quick nod in agreement from the others, Morgana spoke up first.

"It's a deal, then. Welcome to the team."

"Looks like we've got a new member of the Phantom Thieves!" Ann smiled. "I hope we get along! First Makoto, and now Kitagawa-kun. Who knew we'd get two more members so quickly?"

"Yes, this turn of events has been strangely fortunate," said Makoto, offering Yusuke a smile. "I only gained my Persona yesterday as well, to be honest. I suppose we'll be the rookies in this situation."

"Just try not to slow us down, kay new guy?" Ryuji chuckled as he gave a thumbs up.

"I'll do my utmost to keep up," Yusuke replied.

"I look forward to working with you, Kitagawa-san!" Izuku said kindly until another thought sprang up in his mind. He nervously ran a hand through his hair. "O-Oh, and… sorry about tricking you. That was the only way to get where we needed…"

"I understand. Though for Takamaki-san to go so far as posing nude…" Yusuke's eyes trailed over to Ann. "I must say, I'm impressed by your commitment… how daring."

"H-Hey, don't look at me like that! It wasn't my idea! It was theirs." Ann bore into Ryuji from across the table.

Ryuji raised his hands defensively."That's not my fault! He was the one goin' on and on about paintin' you nude!"

"W-Well, regardless of what happened, we're past all that now, right?" Makoto suggested with an awkward chuckle, looking at Yusuke. "You're not planning to keep that up?"

"Oh, no. I still haven't given up on that," Yusuke casually replied.

"Give it up!" Ann snapped when she saw the smug grin on his face. "Oh, but that reminds me. I wonder what's going on with the real Madarame right now. Especially after we left like that."

"Actually, I contacted him before coming here. He believes I'm still pursuing Takamaki-san and Niijima-san. And as you all said, he knows nothing about his Shadow," Yusuke explained for them.

"What did he say?" asked Ann.

"He was complaining how his security company couldn't even catch two girls. However, he's still furious about what happened. He said he would take legal action against everyone."

The Thieves all winced at the implications.

"Th-That's not good…" Izuku muttered.

Ryuji sighed. "Talk about completely on guard."

Makoto chewed on the skin of her thumb. "I'm guessing he would try and charge us with unlawful entry and defamation of character…".

"Still, this seems like a really desperate move! Do you think he's hiding anything else?" Ann asked.

"I'm not sure. But what I do know is that any action he might take won't be until after the exhibit is over. He can't afford to have a scandal like this coming to light right now," Yusuke suggested.

"Right when I think the talk about being a nude model is over, this happens?!" Ann groans, dipping her head down in exasperation.

"We'll just have to force the change of heart before the exhibit ends to avoid this 'legal action' thing." said Morgana. "Now we know our time limit, at least. Let's make sure not to waste our chance!"

Yusuke turned his attention to Morgana, tilting his head. "I've been meaning to ask, but… what exactly is this?"

"Morgana? He's a cat," Ryuji said, raising a brow at the obvious question.

"But it can talk," Yusuke pointed out.

"You have a problem with that?!" Morgana asked.

"No, not really." Yusuke dismissed rather easily, prompting wide-eyed looks from the others.

"Why not?!" Ryuji blurted in surprise.

Ann laughed sheepishly. "He's just on a different wavelength than everyone else."

"Were you thinking of drawing me? If so, you better bring out my best side!" Morgana said with a feline smirk on his face.

"Hm…" Yusuke suddenly pushed off the table and leaned toward Morgana with his hand outstretched...

"Hey, don't touch me like-"

Before pressing the server buzzer and sitting back down.

"I was thinking of ordering some black bean jelly," Yusuke said randomly.

"He probably got that thought from the black cat," Ryuji deadpanned.

"Wait…" Yusuke gasped, looking around at the others. "I didn't bring any money…"

"Nevermind, he's just weird," Ann blanched, earning nods from the rest of the team.

"We certainly seem to have quite the character in our newest member," Makoto said with a awkward smile.

* * *

"Ah, you're back. Pretty late, too," Sojiro greeted with a small smirk, cleaning the counter with a rag. "Walk another lady friend home?"

"N-No, Sakura-san. I-I told you it's not like that," Izuku said, a blush dusted his cheeks.

"You know, it looks more suspicious when you react like that." Sojiro chuckled when he saw Izuku flinch. "Maybe that nice guy act is paying off. You're smoother than I thought."

"I seriously doubt it…" Izuku mumbled, eyes trailing to the side. His attention was roused when he heard his phone ring in his pocket, pulling it out to open the group chat.

 _Ryuji: Legal action… that ain't good._

 _Izuku: I know. That could mean a lot of trouble for everyone involved. If that happens, I'd get sent to juvenile hall even in the best case scenario._

Despite his honest reply, Izuku wasn't afraid. There was a bit of concern for whether or not he might press charges earlier than expected, but that was had full confidence in the team stopping him long before the end of the exhibit.

 _Ann: Forget being expelled. We'd all end up arrested._

 _Koto-san: We won't let that happen. We have plenty of time until the exhibit ends. We'll finish this long before then. I have full confidence in all of us._

 _Izuku: Koto-san is right. Let's keep our heads up and focus on the mission. Madarame won't press any charges after we've changed his heart._

 _Ryuji: Yeah, you guys are right. Thanks, I needed to hear that. I ain't gonna worry with you guys havin' my back!_

 _Ann: Same here! And with Kitagawa-kun joining us, there's no way we can fail!_

"Heh. Nice to see you wielding the title of leader so well," Morgana smirked. "But even with our increased number, let's not get careless. We still have quite a bit left in the Palace to go before we reach the Treasure, I think."

"Don't worry, I won't drop my guard. I want to make this go as well as possible. We won't let Madarame suffer a mental breakdown, either," Izuku nodded with confidence, heading for the stairs and going straight to bed.

They had a long day ahead of them.

* * *

"Oh, yeah. We haven't decided on the new recruit's code name yet," said Morgana. The group didn't waste a moment after school was over, immediately convening at the train station before heading into the Palace.

"It has to be 'Kitsune'! You know, with the kitsune mask and everything?" Ann immediately suggested.

Ryuji grinned. "Hell yeah, that really leaves an impression!"

"Seems fitting to me," Makoto nodded, tilting her head to the side as she held her chin in thought.

"Are you referring to me?" Yusuke asked, turning around to look at the others.

"Yeah. When we're infiltrating Palaces, we go by code names so that we don't affect the cognition in some way by constantly saying our names," Izuku explained. "Do you have any ideas for a code name?"

Yusuke hummed in thought, eyes closing as he held his jaw in hand. "If I were to pick… I'd like to be called 'Da Vinci'."

"Nope," Ryuji immediately dismissed. Yusuke winced at how quickly he was shut down. "Well, you got the mask like Ann said… not to mention the tail… Okay, I got it! From now on, you'll be called Abura-age!"

"Not happening," Makoto and Ann muttered, lame smiles on their lips as they let out small chuckles.

"Yeah, what was that about?" Morgana laughed, shaking his head.

"Well, if you don't mind my input, how about Fox?" Izuku suggested.

"Not bad," Ryuji nodded.

"What do you say, Fox?" Morgana asked.

"It's acceptable," Yusuke agreed easily enough.

"Great, let's go then! We got some ground to cover!" Ryuji said, earning nods from the rest.

"Thankfully not too much," Izuku said, pulling out his phone. "Okay, I'm going to take us to the safe room by the door. Is everyone ready?"

"Safe room?" Yusuke tilted his head in question.

"You'll see in a moment. Go ahead and take us in, Hero," Makoto said. Izuku nodded, tapping the marked locations on his phone's map.

" _Beginning navigation."_

The world around them began to warp again similar to their arrival, their surroundings closing in and taking the shape of a more confined room. Yusuke looked around in awe, stroking his chin curiously.

"Fascinating… so you're able to travel through the Palace at will?"

"Not just anywhere, though. It usually only works with safe rooms and the front entrance, and we have to be in one of those locations to use it," Izuku explained, stuffing his phone away. "Okay, let's go. We've still got a lot of ground to cover."

The Thieves moved out, running through the golden hall again and heading for the door they had previously opened.

"Hell yeah, looks like it's still open!" Ryuji said, looking at Ann and Makoto. "See? It was all worth it in the end, right?"

"Yeah, I guess... " Ann mumbled somewhat bitterly.

"It's good to know that we won't have to worry about it closing again," Makoto said.

"What are you all talking about?" Yusuke asked in wonder.

"N-Nothing to worry about. We can tell you later. Come on, let's go!" Izuku led the way again, getting ahead of the others. As they entered the next hall, Izuku soon spotted another Shadow guarding the entrance. Instead of hide and wait, Izuku picked up his pace the moment its back was facing them, giving it little time to react as he closed in. Leaping on its back, Izuku ripped its mask away, causing a black puddle to form and sprout two of the same Shadow, Koropokguru.

"Panther, hit them with fire!" Izuku ordered.

"On it! Dance, Carmen!" Ann drew her mask away, her busty Persona taking shape above her and unleashing a blaze that hit both Shadows, causing both to writhe in pain.

"Alright, finish them off! We'll save hold ups for when we're in new areas!" Izuku said, earning nods of agreement from his team.

"We'll end it!" Makoto and Yusuke were the first to leap forward, Makoto's arm hardening into metal as she reared her arm back. With single, swift strikes, the Shadows were disposed of, black ooze draining into the ground.

"Man. Even though the big Shadows get tough, the small ones get easier and easier to deal with," Ryuji said, rolling his arm as he was able to relax in that fight.

"Don't drop your guard. Even the smaller ones can still deal bad damage if they hit you with the element your Persona can't handle," Morgana warned. Makoto and Yusuke straightened out, putting their weapons away and looking to one another in thanks.

"I must say, your Quirk does draw my interest. Are you able to shift your body into another form?" Yusuke asked

"In a way, yeah. Though my primary power is to absorb matter and energy and use it at will," Makoto explained, holding up her right arm to demonstrate her point.

"Fascinating. It seems that your Quirk is quite useful for combat. Sadly, mine isn't something so capable for battle," Yusuke said, crossing his arms in thought.

"What's your Quirk, Fox?" Izuku asked, turning his head back to him in interest as they started to walk forward, though remaining cautious.

"I can produce ink from the pores in my hand. Namely my finger tips," Yusuke explained, pulling off his glove and demonstrating by letting ink slowly drip down from his fingers.

"Oh, wow. I suppose that's the perfect Quirk for an aspiring artist, huh?" Morgana chuckled.

Yusuke frowned as he put his glove back on."I suppose, but… Madarame forbade me from using it when painting."

"Huh? Why would he go and do somethin' like that?" Ryuji asked.

"He said that it was to 'keep me from feeling entitled as an artist and to remain at level with others'. But after all this… it makes me question the true intent behind it," Yusuke sighed. The others remained silent, sharing looks at one another as they couldn't help but agree.

 _Why would Madarame go and do something like that?_ Izuku wondered, his eyes drifting around as they entered the next hall. His eyes landed on a pamphlet station against the wall, coming to a stop before walking up to it. "Hey, look! I think we can get a map from this!"

"Ah, good eye. Let's take a look at what we're working with," Morgana said, he and the others huddling up behind Izuku as he opened a pamphlet up for all of them to see.

"Looks like we've still got some ways to go," Makoto tilted her head, looking over the layout closely.

"At least we can pinpoint where the Treasure is being kept!" Ann said positively.

"Quite right. And considering it would likely be in the innermost depths of the Palace…" Morgana scanned through the map before touching his paw in a secluded area on it. "This place looks suspicious. Definitely like something that's been cut off from the rest for a purpose."

"To get there, we'll have to go through the lounge and the gallery," Yusuke pointed out the paths linked to it.

"Just remember, rookies. The deeper in we go, the tighter security will be. That means more guards and stronger ones," Morgana reminded them.

"Alright, everyone. Stay close and approach enemies with caution. We're going to set up our infiltration route today!" Izuku declared with a tightened fist in front of his chest.

"Right!" The others agreed, falling in line next to him as he started to jog forward.

As they reached the next room, they found the gallery to be blocked off by a security gate. Izuku quickly took a detour, going down the right hall to take the long way in. Passing into another room, Izuku saw two paths before them, but quickly picked up on one being blocked off by lasers on his right. Going left, Izuku slowed the group down as he saw another Shadow patrolling the next room. Though Izuku noted the fact that it was in the shape of a female secretary rather than a guard.

"On my go," Izuku whispered back, putting up three fingers and counting down. The moment he finished, he rushed forward, jumping at the Shadow from behind and ripping off its mask. Izuku watched two pairs of the Water Nymph and Hua Po rise from the ooze.

"Skull!" Izuku called out, reaching for his mask and summoning Jack Frost.

"Already on it!" Ryuji answered, whipping his mask aside as Captain Kidd formed above him. "Get wrecked!" Ice and lightning shot out around Izuku and Ryuji, blasting the Hua Po and Water Nymphs respectively. Each Shadow was knocked on its ass with its weakness exploited.

"Alright, we got 'em down! Take 'em out, Hero?" Ryuji asked as he and the others quickly surrounded their targets with their guns raised. Makoto and Yusuke's own firearms had taken the shape of a single-action revolver and an assault rifle respectively.

"Wait. Let me try negotiating this time," Izuku said, walking up to the Water Nymph. He lowered his gun and stared it directly in the eyes. "If you become my mask, we'll spare you."

"Okay, done!" Water Nymph immediately agreed. "What? I know when I'm beat. Better to work with someone strong like you guys than get destroyed here, right?"

"O-Oh, okay then. Welcome to the team," Izuku nodded, watching as the Shadow rose up.

"I am Asparas. I look forward to being by your side!" The Shadow declared, its body turning into a mask before being absorbed into the one on Izuku's face. With that, the other Shadows disappeared, escaping with their 'lives'.

"Well, that was easy," Ryuji said with a chuckle as he and the others moved to join Izuku again.

"It seems I still have a great deal to learn," Yusuke said with interest, tilting his head to the side. "Can we all possess multiple Personas?"

"Nope, that's just our leader. But let's not dwell on that, we should keep moving," Morgana suggested, causing the others to silently agree and move forward. Entering the next room and avoiding another Shadow, the group finally entered the main gallery. Shadows patrolled deeper in the gallery, but Izuku could see ways around them. But he could also see several standing laser alarms scattered through the hall as well.

"There are so many… I'm kinda afraid of bumping into one just by accident," Ann admitted, eyes scanning the hall nervously.

"It's okay. Stick close behind me and I'll make sure to guide us past the lasers," Izuku said, activating his Third Eye to take a look at the active lasers. He could understand Ann's concern, seeing so many covering the hall. As he looked around, he made a mental note of the the giant pictures adorning the far wall lit up.

 _We'll have to check those out if we come back around._

"We'll leave it up to you, Hero," Morgana encouraged.

"Don't rush. We don't want to make any dumb mistakes," Makoto said to everyone.

"Okay, let's go," Izuku started to move, pointing out which lasers had gaps they could slip through. As they continued, they were forced into battle with more Shadows. They were mostly painless and allowed Izuku to claim two more Personas in the form of Makami and Inugami. He was just about out of room to claim any more.

Once they reached the other side of the gallery, Izuku sighed when he found the exit blocked off there as well. "Looks like we need to find another way around here, too,"

"How inconvenient. There's even a security room on the other side as well," Yusuke pointed out for the others.

"I'm sure that if we can reach it, we'll be able to shut off the security in here like before," Morgana said.

"Yeah, but gettin' there's gonna be a pain by itself," Ryuji sighed, tapping his foot impatiently.

"Hm… well, let's go back around this way. There's something I wanted to check out," Izuku told them, rousing their interest. Izuku led them to the gallery's main wall, standing in front of the giant paintings to observe them again.

"They're so huge…" Ann mumbled in awe.

"Indeed. It bears such a bizarre texture, as well. It's almost like I could just slip inside…" Yusuke began as he reached out to touch it. He jumped when he felt his hand pass through the canvas with little resistance. "Wh-What?!"

"Are you alright?!" Makoto asked, looking between him and the painting.

"Y-Yes, I'm fine, it's just… I actually passed through the painting…" Yusuke explained, staring up at it in shock.

"I thought these paintings were strange… let's go inside. Maybe we can use this to our advantage," Izuku suggested to the others.

"It does seem like our only option at the moment. Lead the way!" Morgana agreed. Izuku entered the painting first, finding that they were able to walk among the details of the painting.

" _How dare you trample upon my bamboo garden with those grimy feet?! You won't leave here alive!"_

The group jumped when they heard Madarame's voice, eyes darting around as they expected to be attacked at a moment's notice.

"Wh-Where's that comin' from?!" Ryuji asked in panic, looking around.

"Calm down. I think it's just Madarame's thoughts. It's probably just a subconscious reaction to us entering here," said Morgana suggested, allowing the others to relax somewhat. Yusuke could only lower his head in disappointment.

"Hey, look… the painting goes past the edge of the frame," Izuku pointed out, beginning to walk toward the opposite end they entered. As he and the others walked through it, they soon found themselves within another frame, welcomed by a different scenery.

"Oh, we're in the picture that was above it," Ann pointed out, looking outside of the picture over the gallery.

"Hm, so this space is not only one, but multiple paintings," Yusuke guessed with interest.

"You're tellin' me they're all connected? But which one goes where?" Ryuji asked, scratching his head.

"I'll see if I can pinpoint where we can connect with other paintings if we need to. Come on," Izuku said, leading them toward the edge of the painting. He hopped out, landing safely on the edge of the wall that stuck out with the others following close behind.

"The nerve of that man to become angry because he thinks we are the ones dirtying his heart! The one who has sullied the very nature of art itself has no right to say such things!" Yusuke finally vented the moment he was out of the picture, earning concerned looks from the rest of the team as he trembled with anger.

"Save the emotions for later. We have to keep moving," Morgana advised, not wanting Yusuke to dwell too much on what happened. Yusuke took a deep breath and slowly nodded, silently falling in with the others as they started to move.

"There's a vent here!" Izuku announced, getting down to his knees and crawling inside with the others close behind. Morgana quickly hopped in after him.

"Hey, don't go starin' at my butt," Ryuji said, sparing a look back at Yusuke directly as before beginning to crawl.

"What are you talking about?" Yusuke raised a brow in question, soon following in behind him.

"At least I don't have to worry about getting stared at with them ahead of us," Ann sighed, leaning down to go in.

"I can see how that might worry you in that outfit. Though I have found myself to be a bit self-conscious in my own considering how… tight it is," Makoto coughed into her hand before she followed Ann in.

Izuku crawled out the other side, stepping to the edge of the balcony so the others had room to come out. His eyes scanned across the room, noting a Treasure chest at one end and a large Shadow at the other, standing guard in front of the security office they needed to get in to.

"Oh, a Treasure che-" Izuku clamped a hand overMorgana's mouth, placing a finger to his lips and and motioning to the guard. "O-Oh, sorry…" Morgana mumbled in embarrassment.

"Looks like we gotta go through that guy to get to the office, huh?" Ryuji asked, crouching next to Izuku on the platform. "He looks really tough, though…"

"We should be fine. We've dealt with guards like that before," Makoto suggested, gripping her knuckle dusters tightly. "We can't fight recklessly."

"Yeah… we can still catch him by surprise, too. I have an idea," Izuku said, smiling at the others.

* * *

The stationary Shadow stood vigilant in place. It wouldn't leave its post for anything so long as the intruders were inside the museum. It would stop at nothing until they were-

"U-Um! Excuse me!" The Shadow's head swiveled forward as he spotted a head of green poke its head out from inside the lounge room. "D-Do you think you could h-help me find the security office?"

"One of the intruders! Get over here!" The Shadow demanded, stomping forward. Izuku answered that with a small yelp before ducking back behind the wall. "Get back here!"

The Shadow finally left its station in pursuit of Izuku, stomping into lounge area and pointing its baton at Izuku. "Surrender yourself, intruder! You're not making it any farther than here!"

"You'll have to make me!" Izuku declared, reaching a hand up to his mask.

"With pleasure!" The guard's body fell into black ooze, immediately reforming as the same Shadow that had taken Makoto hostage and had tried to stop him and Ryuji at the door a few days ago. "Lord Madarame will have your head!"

"Now!" Izuku called out, causing the Shadow to hesitate. It looked up to see the rest of the Phantom Thieves descending upon it from the terrace.

"You're done now!" Makoto roared, summoning Johanna and searing its face with nuclear energy. The Shadow ate the attack before it could stop her, flying back into the wall and falling to its knees.

"Alright, everyone! Let's do it!" Izuku called out, pulling his mask off and summoning Succubus. "Marin Karin!" Rather than attempting to inflict damage, Succubus blew a kiss at the Shadow, a small wave blasting forth and washing over it.

"Wh-What-What is-where am-" The Shadow stumbled, its mind thrown into chaos from the brainwashing.

"Nice job, Hero! Our turn!" Morgana said, he and the others quickly summoning their Personas all at once and dishing out their respective elemental attacks. The Shadow didn't stand a chance, immediately being overwhelmed by the wave of elements that crashed into it. Its body blew up into a brilliant ball of energy, evaporating into thin air before their eyes.

As the dust cleared and the Shadow faded away, a moment passed before the Thieves relaxed, each one smiling at each other in accomplishment.

"Good job, everyone! That went really well," Izuku said as he moved to join the others.

"I must say, that was quite an effective plan. Simple, but effective," Yusuke praised.

"Man, we are just plowin' through these guys now!" Ryuji grinned ear to ear.

"Even I have to admit, it really does feel like we're unstoppable right now," Makoto said with a small smirk.

"I would say don't get cocky, but I'd say we're in a really good place right now when it comes to dealing with threats," Morgana said with a nod. "You've all learned well. It's good to see that our newest members are able to keep up with us, too."

"Yeah! We rock!" Ann cheered, pointing a finger at the security office. "Come on, let's not stop here! Let's blow through this Palace! Nothing can stop us now!"

* * *

"Sonuva-I'm gettin' sick of seein' this DAMN camel over and over again!" Ryuji fumed with irritation.

Having pushed deeper into the Palace and getting past both Shadow and blockades, the Thieves soon found themselves at a small roadblock. One in the shape of multiple gigantic paintings and a strange cycle of paths that kept taking them back to the start of the whole thing.

"Oh, shut up. Complaining about it's not going to make it go faster," Ann groaned, no less annoyed than her teammate at being put back at the start for the fourth time. Listening to Madarame's constant excuses from each painting didn't do anything but piss the majority of the team off.

"Alright, everyone relax. After this, we should be done with the last of it… hopefully." Makoto tried to reason, earning small grumbles from both blondes.

"I suppose dealing with Shadows is not the only obstacle that we must face as Phantom Thieves. The Palace itself serves as an adversary," Yusuke said with an impressed tone as he held his chin in thought.

"You have no idea how true that can be sometimes," Morgana groaned.

"C-Come on, guys. Almost done. Once we get through here, we won't be too far from the Treasure, okay?" Izuku encouraged, trying to remain positive for the others. As he hopped from painting to painting, having noted each path and where they led, Izuku passed through each scenery and avoided each wrong path. He made it to the greenery of the third frame, climbing up the short, rocky background and went through the final passage at the top. With a shared breath of relief, the group welcomed the sight of the final portrait.

" _Beauty is nothing but a mirage…"_

"Here we go again…" Ryuji grumbled, he and the others waiting for him to finish speaking one last time.

" _Transforming that into money is true happiness. My mansion, my lavish lifestyle… my place among the chosen 'few'. Those things are the true 'art'!"_

"So running your atelier out of a rundown shack was simply an act afterall…" Yusuke said in a weak voice. "How foolish I was to be fooled for so long…"

"Fox…" Ann muttered, unsure what to say.

" _This world has deemed Quirks and Heroes to be the greatest 'beauty' of this world…"_

The Thieves blinked, raising their heads when they realized that Madarame's voice wasn't done.

" _But what 'Heroes' can claim to be my equal in notoriety?! I, who was cursed with a worthless Quirk, have risen above all of them! Quirk cannot bring the happiness I have attained! Damn them all!"_

Madarame's voice finally died out, the Thieves now looking at each other in surprise.

"Damn… wasn't expectin' that. So now he's got a gripe against Quirks, too?" Ryuji tapped his foot in thought.

"This is sort of like Kamoshida was, remember? Except I guess Kamoshida's hate was directed more at U.A. rather than Quirks and Heroes in general," Ann pointed out.

"It's no surprise that people like Kamoshida or Madarame would hold grudges like that with the way the world treats Quirks and Heroes, I suppose," Makoto reasoned, holding her chin in thought. "Not that it's any sort of excuse for what they've done."

"Yeah. They would rather climb over others just to get their way. All because they felt… cursed with what they got," Izuku huffed, the idea disgusting him more and more.

"So that's why he forbid me from using my Quirk… out of his own jealousy?!" Yusuke snapped furiously, hands gripping the material of his pants. "All of his works, simply created for fortune and spite! Not once did he even mention his supposed love of art! These… these are no paintings! They're just meaningless self-assertions placed into picture frames!"

"What… is Madarame's Quirk?" Izuku asked shyly, unsure if this was the appropriate time to ask, though.

"It's… something rather unbecoming. He can sprout eyes on other parts of his body, though it makes him unable to see through his main eyes when doing so," Yusuke huffed, rubbing a hand against his face.

"Ew," Ann wrinkled her nose in disgust.

"Yeah, I can see how that's kinda useless…" Ryuji mumbled in understanding.

"Well… in certain cases, I'm sure a Quirk like that could be used for espionage… The ability to have different fields of vision might help when you're worried about getting side-blinded…" Izuku couldn't stop himself from thinking up its possibilities.

"Even so, not many would see it as useful," said Makoto.

"Still. I'm definitely interested in seeing how the change of heart will alter his personality," Morgana commented, though silence was his only answer to the thought.

The group proceeded to the next hall, another small gallery mirroring one of the earlier areas of the exhibit. After quickly dealing with several more Shadows and cracking open several awkwardly placed chests (Ann and Makoto were somewhat annoyed to let the boys enter the ladies room and nervous to enter the guys room), Izuku led them into the next big area on the map. Though as they entered a new, dazzling gold path, the team couldn't help but gawk as they took in their surroundings.

"Wh-What the shit?! What the hell is up with this place?!" Ryuji blurted out. Setting aside the blinding amount of gold, the landscape around them had completely opened up into a mess of inverted and winding staircases, similar in appearance to the lithograph print _Relativity_ by M.C. Escher.

"There's… so much gold that it's hurting my eyes…" Ann's eyes squinted, trying to adjust to the gaudy room's flair.

"The distortion is really bad here. It doesn't even match up with what's on our map," Morgana said, looking around in concern. "This place is barely holding up."

"So we must ascertain the truth with our eyes alone," Yusuke said, scanning around the staircases curiously.

"There must be a trick to how this place works. Let's take a closer look around," Makoto said, earning nods from the others before they moved forward. They descended the distorted paths and were forced to jump down from one staircase to the next. They followed the stairs as far as they could go before having to jump over a ledge to the next path. A Shadow was patrolling, but it was quickly dealt with.

As they continued on, they found a large blue door at the end of the staircase. Quickly going inside, the group ground to a halt as they found that they were in a completely different part of the room.

"Holy crap! Did we just warp or somethin'?!" Ryuji asked, looking around in panic.

"It would seem that the paths beyond these apertures are distorted in the same way as the rest of the room," said Yusuke.

"And here I thought we were done going through weird room puzzles after the paintings…" Ann sighed tiredly, feeling a migraine coming on.

Despite the minor complaints, the group pushed forward, going through another blue passageway that warped them to another part of the room as well. As they continued onto a fork at the center of the room, they came to a stop when they spotted two paintings of the Sayuri sitting at there.

"Huh? What are these doing here?" Ann asked, tilting her head in question.

"They're just an illusion of the Palace," Morgana said, looking at them with little interest.

"But they're just counterfeits, right? Why would he have them here?" Ann looked at Morgana.

"They also seem to have some differences between them. The most notable thing being the color of their shirts," Makoto pointed out, the others taking another look to confirm her words. One of the Sayuri's had a blue shirt while the other a red shirt.

"So… one's fake and one isn't? The hell?" Ryuji mumbled in confusion.

"Maybe it… has something to do with this room?" Izuku suggested thoughtfully. "Maybe if we can determine which one's real, we'll open something up? You know, right Fox?"

"Ah, of course. The difference is obvious," Yusuke nodded, giving a small smile.

.

.

.

"So… which one is real?" Izuku finally asked, raising a brow.

"Come now, if you look closely enough, you should be able to tell, right?" Yusuke asked, smiling expectantly at Izuku.

"Oh, come on, dude. You're the only one who would remember every detail of that painting!" Ryuji complained.

"It shouldn't be too difficult. You've all seen examples of it before, have you not?" Yusuke pushed, looking at Izuku again. "Take a closer look and tell me which is real. I'll confirm it for you."

 _I feel like Kitagawa-san wants us to be able identify it the same way he does…_ Izuku internally blanched, forgetting just how important this single painting was to the artist. Swallowing a lump in his throat, Izuku's eyes darted back to the paintings, trying to recall the details of Sayuri from memory. Looking at the one with the blue shirt, part of Izuku felt it was off-color. With only half an idea, Izuku pointed at the red shirted Sayuri.

"Th-This one..?"

"Ah, it seems you do have a good eye for detail, Hero. Yes, that is correct," Yusuke confirmed, causing Izuku to sigh in relief.

"Ferreal? That's amazin', dude…" Ryuji mumbled in awe.

Izuku laughed sheepishly, rubbing his arm. "N-No, it really wasn't…"

"Nice guess," Makoto whispered into his ear, giving him a small smirk.

"Yes, just look at her vibrant crimson clothes, the beautiful hair, the sublime balance between subject and background…" Yusuke went on, taking a moment to truly admire the painting. "This may be an illusion, but it is the spitting image of the Sayuri, no doubt."

The moment he said that, the painting suddenly transformed into a hovering golden light, causing them to recoil. They watched as it floated through the air before flying over head, merging with one of the corridors and shifting it from blue to gold.

"Whoa, that did somethin'!" Ryuji said, each Thief turning around to look at the door.

"Did… identifying the painting give us the right route to take?" Makoto wondered aloud.

"Only one way to find out. Come on!" Izuku moved forward with his teammates close behind. Going through the golden door, they soon found themselves on a new platform, all present blinking in shock when they found four paintings of Sayuri along the path this time.

"You've gotta be kidding me! How many times do we have to find the real Sayuri?!" Morgana wondered aloud.

"Come now, it should be quite quick. Hero did figure it out once before, did he not?" Yusuke reasoned, looking at their leader expectantly.

"M-Me?! B-But Fox, I really think you should-"

"It'll be fine. I'm sure you'll do well on your own," Yusuke, motioning with his hands toward the portraits.

Izuku sighed, seeing Yusuke's thinly veiled excitement at the prospect of him choosing. _Kitagawa-san really is a bit… strange_. But, not wanting to let him down and seeing little other choice, Izuku moved forward to look at the paintings. Looking across all four, Izuku felt sweat trail down his face. These ones all looked alike to him. He could see small differences, sure, but none of them made it easier to pin the real Sayuri in Izuku's eyes. His Third Eye didn't reveal the answer either, much to his disappointment.

"Um… uh…" Izuku walked up to the one on the platform they currently stood on. Inspecting it, it honestly looked a lot like the one they just saw previously. "Th-This one?"

 ***SPLAT***

The painting immediately turned into a Shadow.

"WRONG!"

" **AHHHH~!"**

After a nerve-wracking battle in close-quarters,, the Shadow was destroyed. Each Thief leaned on their knees to catch their breath save for Yusuke, who stared at the other paintings quizzically.

"O-Okay… now we know… what happens when we guess wrong," Makoto breathed out, standing up straight.

"Talk about a friggin' heart attack. Just him poppin' up was way scarier than the fight itself," Ryuji huffed, shaking his head.

"Yeah… sorry, Fox, but I don't know this painting like you do. Would you please pick it out for us from now on?" Izuku asked, looking at Yusuke pleadingly.

"Yes, I suppose that would make sense... Though I feel like if you just take a closer study of it-"

"Just do it."

* * *

"Everyone… I believe we've arrived."

After Yusuke was able to guide them out with his proper identifications of the painting, the team had soon found their way to their destination: the final area of the Palace. If they needed any more confirmation, the presence of Madarame's Shadow at the end of the hall was it. The Thieves quickly hid at the corner walls of the main entrance, remaining out of sight from the Palace ruler.

"That looks like the Treasure behind him!" Ann pointed out in a loud whisper, all eyes trailing up to the transparent cloud floating behind a wall of lasers.

"That's it? I was expecting something… more, I guess," Makoto mumbled, holding her chin in wonder.

"That's just how it looks for now. Once we send the calling card, it'll materialize like 'yoo-hoo'!" Morgana explained, earning a nod of understanding from Makoto.

"I wonder what form it will take…" Yusuke mused. "The source of Madarame's distortion…"

"Who knows? Maybe somethin' like a self-portrait," Ryuji spat, expecting as much from Madarame at this point.

"Well, we know where the Treasure is now. Think our infiltration route is set?" Ann asked.

"Well, we know where it is obviously, but I wouldn't say our infiltration route is secure…" Morgana surmised, looking to the side in doubt.

"You're right. There's a lot more security around the Treasure here in comparison to Kamoshida's," Izuku agreed, eyes scanning around the room. "We should look around and see if the security console in control of all this is close by."

"Good idea. Whatever we can do to weaken the defenses around it would be a major improvement of charging in head first," Makoto nodded in agreement.

"There's a safe room nearby, so at least we'll be able to come here when the time is right and leave soon as we're done. Let's finish this!" Ann said. The group proceeded onward, taking a right hall that winded around the room around the Treasure's gallery. Some Shadows patrolled the path, but Izuku and the others made sure to hide, avoiding any confrontation lest they draw Madarame's ire. As they pushed further in, they finally arrived at a single security room.

Izuku slowly entered first, but breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that there were no guards inside. He quickly jogged up to the front security console, beginning to type through the menus.

"How much can we shut off from here?" Makoto asked, peering through the security window overlooking Madarame's Shadow and the Treasure.

"Let's see… it looks like I can open the doors…" Izuku pressed enter, and the group soon heard the security shutters throughout the hall suddenly open up. "And maybe… turn off the lasers?"

" **ERROR: ONLY MADARAME HAS ACCESS TO INFRARED LASER CONTROLS!"**

"Damn it, so much for that idea. Now what?" Ryuji grumbled, looking at the others in frustration.

"Hm… even though we can't turn off the lasers, we can turn off the power if this is right…" Izuku mumbled, pressing enter on the input. The power to the main room shut off, though the infrared lasers were clearly still active despite everything else going out.

"Hey, what just happened?!" They heard Madarame's voice from the gallery.

"W-We don't know! But don't worry, sir. The backup generators will bring us back up in no time!" A guard answered for him. Only a moment later did the power return back to normal.

"Tch. The power came back on pretty damn fast," Ryuji huffed again.

"Not to mention the lasers remained active even during the blackout," Yusuke pointed out.

"So we'll only have a few seconds before the power turns back on, huh?" Morgana mused, putting a paw to his chin.

"Come on, back into the hall!" Izuku said, quickly leading them back to the door. "I doubt that they won't send a guard to check here after that!"

The group swiftly ran outside, hiding behind the furniture in the lounge area. As Izuku expected, a guard passed by and headed for the security office.

"Nice call, Hero. Looks like we were able to avoid being detected for now," Morgana said, hopping out of his cover.

"Yeah, but we still didn't get too much done from that. All we did was open those shutters," Ryuji pointed out.

"And we'll only be able to shut off the lights briefly without being able to shut down the lasers," Yusuke added.

"We'll have to keep looking around and see what those shutters opened up to us as far as options go," Makoto suggested this time.

They didn't waste another moment, quickly running off to where they last passed the shutters. Seeing the new path, they realized that an entire hall had been opened to them. Avoiding another Shadow that patrolled the hall and letting it pass, Izuku climbed the new path until they reached the top. Much to their surprise, they found another safe room available for use right before another door leading to their left.

"Alright, I've marked this safe room on the Metanav. What's in the next room?" Izuku asked, leaving the safe room after going in alone and allowing the others to check out the next door.

"It's a room used for controlling the mechanisms surrounding the Treasure's exhibit," Yusuke explained, looking at Izuku as he entered the room. "Given the number of hanging works, it makes sense to have a room dedicated to controlling them."

"The observational skills of an artist are out of this world…" Ann mumbled in awe.

"So they can… control the items in the exhibit?" Izuku's eyes widened. "Does that include the Treasure?!"

"That's a good question, Hero. Let's take a look around and figure that out," Morgana said, waving for the others to follow him as he hopped on top of a ledge that seemed to connect to the rest of the gallery. The others quickly followed him up, jumping on the ledge and going out. They found a large scaffolding area big enough for them to walk on. Izuku walked forward first, moving toward the center and looking down.

"Looks like we're right above the Treasure… and there's nothing guarding it from the top!" Izuku said in surprise.

"This is a rather large hole in their security… but how do we retrieve it? Jumping down?" Yusuke asked thoughtfully.

"No, no… the controls in the room. If there's a lever that is connected to a wire for the Treasure, to that hook and wire," Makoto motioned to just above them, a large hook hanging overhead, "we'll be able to lower down into that area without problem!" Makoto explained, turning back around and heading for the room. "Wait here and tell me if we're right!"

"Okay!" Izuku and the others waited for a moment, watching the hook. Soon after, it started to lower down before quickly coming back up. "It worked! Okay, back to the room!"

The others filed out, jumping back down into the control room where Makoto waited for them.

"Sorry, I didn't want to lower it too much in case they'd notice. It worked though, right?" Makoto asked hopefully.

"It did. Which means we have our way of getting down there and to the Treasure!" Izuku nodded in excitement, grinning at his team.

"Yeah, but how're we gonna get in there and grab it without bein' noticed? They'll attack us soon as they see us comin' down," Ryuji pointed out.

"We won't have long, but we can use the darkness to grab the Treasure," Izuku suggested.

"Good idea, Hero!" said Morgana. "All we have to do is turn off the power as we're lowering down to grab the Treasure, right?"

"But that would only give us a few seconds. How would we make it here in time to steal it?" Yusuke asked.

"We'll have to split up," Makoto said this time, following Izuku's line of thought. "One team will take down the power and another team will take the Treasure.

"Won't they realize what's goin' on real quick, though?" Ryuji asked nervously.

"They probably will, but that's why we have to execute this perfectly. We can't waste a moment here," Izuku nodded, his brow furrowing seriously. "We just need to steal the Treasure and get it to safety before they figure it out."

"This does seem pretty dangerous, but… do you guys really think it'll work?" Ann asked, looking at Izuku and Makoto hopefully.

"It's our best plan of action. I'll try and think of an alternative just in case, but this is what we have to work with in the meantime," Izuku admitted, holding his chin in thought. "The team who shuts off the power will immediately have to make a run for it and meet back up with the team stealing the Treasure. It's risky, but it can work."

"Risky moves can have the biggest payoff," Morgana reasoned before looking up at the others. "Well, I would say our infiltration route has been secured. Let's get back to the safe room and head back, for now."

"Man, I can't believe we got this done so quick, though. We're gettin' good!" Ryuji smiled at Izuku as the team started to move out. "So, we gonna send the calling card out tomorrow?"

"Hm… no, not just yet. I want to prepare as much as possible before jumping after the Treasure," Izuku shook his head, causing the others to look back at him. "Kamoshida's Shadow showed us that anything can happen and even with our current strength, the Palace ruler might still be insanely strong. Let's make sure we've got everything we need."

"Yeah, you've got a point there. We weren't expecting Kamoshida to be as crazy strong as he was when we took his Treasure," Ann agreed, grimacing at the memory.

"Then it really is best to take this slow. We have plenty of time before the exhibit ends, so rushing in doesn't do us any favors," Makoto nodded.

"Sounds good to me. I'll leave it up to you to decide when we're ready to go, Hero!" Ryuji gave a thumbs up.

"I'll be ready and waiting for the call," said Yusuke.

"Alright, everyone. We've got our plan and time to rest. Be ready for anything!"

"Right!"

 **To be continued…**

 **Thanks as always goes to my beta reppuzan for his hard work during his busy times.**

 **Man, talk about a chapter jam packed. It's even bigger than the last haha. Though looking back, maybe it just feels that way, seeing their total word limits lol. But I wanted to get this one done and over with so that all of our dungeon crawling had been settled. As I said before, this arc was going to close up much faster than Kamoshida's had. So look forward to the last push to the Treasure!**

 **Also, something I thought I'd make clear in this chapter, I'm definitely not planning to write out every little Shadow fight even when they're forced into battle. That's just tedious and serves no purpose save padding up the amount of words and would definitely exhaust me. So while I'll work in some small fights here and there, I don't want to spend too much time on inconsequential fights that you would blaze through in game in a matter of seconds.**

 **Anyways, that aside, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! I got this done a bit sooner on my schedule since I felt last chapter had quite a bit of repetitive use of lines throughout that were unavoidable, and thought I'd give some more original moments here to help make the dungeon crawling less of an eyesore.**

 **Well, that's all I've got for you guys, I hope you liked it! Please be sure to give a follow, a favorite and a review if you'd be so kind. Peace :)**


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: I own neither My Hero Academia nor the Persona series**

Chapter 27

"Alright, Izuku. What are your plans for prepping for the Treasure heist?" Morgana asked, his nose poking out of the green-haired teen's bag.

"I had a few things in mind… I think Kitagawa-san and Koto-san could use upgrades to their weapons, at least," Izuku's voice trailed off as he held his chin, eyes focused on the ground in front of him. "Iwai-san texted me about needing help today, so I'll definitely go to Untouchable and buy better guns for them. I'll text Hatsume-san to see if I can finish testing for the other two support items. We might not get anything right now, but it'll be good to have more options available in the future. I would also like to ask Mishima-senpai and Suzui-senpai if anymore requests are there for us to take in Mementos, but… no, no, I should hold off on that until after the heist. One thing at a time after all. No need to overwhelm the team right before our final push…"

"There he goes again…" Morgana sighed in amusement as he watched Izuku's mumble through his plans for the day.

"Hey, lemme see! I can't see my score!"

Izuku's eyes trailed back up when he saw the feet of a crowd blocking his path. A number of students were gathered by the wall to get a better look at the board. He could hear the mumblings of other students, some dejected and others excited.

"Oh, right. I forgot our test scores would be posted, soon," Izuku said to himself. He stood on his tiptoes to try and peer past the crowd to no avail. Seeing little other choice, Izuku weaved through the crowd, trying to get a better look at the board.

"No way… look who's at the top of the first years!" He heard a voice, causing the crowd to shift again, Izuku letting out a muffled grunt when he was pancaked between some bags and students. He finally squeezed through, taking a relieved breath as he looked up at the board for his name.

"Holy crap… didn't think he'd be that smart…"

"He had to have cheated, right?! There's no way!"

Izuku wasn't listening. He was too busy searching for his own name.

"Ah, there I am. I got seventh overall among the first years…" He frowned. "Well… I guess I didn't have time to catch up on some things with everything that happened…"

" _Just how smart are you?"_ He heard Morgana's muffled voice from his bag.

"Whoa, did you hear that?"

"This guy sure acts confident. Maybe he really is that smart?"

"There's no way! I bet he stole the answers and tried to make it seem like he didn't!"

"I dunno, that's stretching it a bit…"

Izuku finally caught on to the voices surrounding him, sweat trailing down his face as he felt several dozen pairs of eyes bore into him.

"W-Well! I wonder what everyone else got!" Izuku awkwardly laughed aloud, trying to distract himself from the onslaught of whispers and looking across the board.

He smiled when he saw Makoto's name at the number one spot of the third years, which was not at all surprising. He moved onto the second years, looking for Ryuji and Ann.

 _N-Not to be mean, but… I should probably start from the bottom up to look for them…_

Izuku was glad to see neither of his friends at the bottom of the list. Not that he believed they were dumb, but anyone could see how badly they procrastinated before exams. He found Ryuji's name a third of the way up and Ann a few spots above him. He also took note of Mishima a couple of spots above her.

 _Well… that's not too bad, all things considered. Hopefully, they scored where they wanted._

The crowd around the board began to thin, making way for some other students to peer in. Now with room to move, Izuku turned to leave.

"Izuku! There you are!" He blinked, his head craning to the right. Before he could process who it was, he felt a pair of arms wrap around his back and pull him close.

"You're my hero! I thought I was gonna score way lower than that this semester! You're the best!" He heard Ann's voice, his face turning hot red as steam permeated from him. Not only was Ann hugging him tightly, but he could feel a soft pair of pillows pressing up against his chest.

 _BBBBBBOOOOOOOBBBBS~!_

"Dude, ease up on him. You probably just gave him a heart attack," Ryuji's voice crept up this time, no small amount of amusement in his tone.

"Oh! Sorry," Ann giggled sheepishly, letting go of the awkward first year.

"I's 'kay… I fine…" Izuku garbled out a response, his eyes pointed up at the ceiling as his face cooled down.

"But she's right. Thanks for the help, man! I figured I'd be wa~y lower than that! You effin' rock!" Ryuji grinned at the green-haired teen.

Izuku rubbed the back of his head with a bashful smile. "O-Oh, i-it was nothing, really…"

"I see you've kept up with your schoolwork, Midori. Congratulations," Izuku looked back to see Makoto approach, a gentle smile on her face. "Seventh in your grade is quite impressive considering the circumstances you were thrust into."

Ryuji's jaw dropped. "Wait, what?! He got seventh?!" He and Ann quickly running over to the board to check.

"Thank you, Koto-san. Next time, I'll shoot for a higher rank. Now that things are calming down, I won't let myself fall behind," Izuku said, giving her a confident smile.

"Good. And I won't accept our 'jobs' as an excuse. I expect to see you at the top," Makoto giggled. "But thankfully, with exams over, we can focus our efforts on a more troublesome target."

Izuku's lips fell into a frown, his brow knitting. "Yeah. Just a few more days, and we'll finish this."

* * *

 **(Persona 5 OST: Suspicion)**

 _This… wasn't the kind of job I was expecting._

Munehisa Iwai was a man Izuku had trouble reading. He didn't _seem_ like a bad man. His son seemed to care about him enough to want to help out at his shop, too. Sure, he was a bit shady when it came to his custom airsoft guns, but Izuku was sure it wasn't anything illegal.

But now, Izuku was faced with another gray area.

The moment Izuku walked into Untouchable, Iwai said they were leaving, letting him make whatever purchases he needed first. He said he was going to meet with a 'friend' at the Shibuya diner and he wanted Izuku there to help him leave whenever needed. He even had him come in a bit later than Iwai and sit as close as possible without looking suspicious so he could hear the signal.

Now, Izuku would like to believe this was just a casual talk between estranged friends and Iwai wanted a quick out of at the drop of a dime. But Izuku wasn't stupid and could tell Iwai wasn't the type of person to involve someone else just to escape awkward conversation. He was certainly blunt enough to end it on his own.

"An old diner, huh? I thought only old farts come to a place like this," The elderly man asked the shop owner who sat across from him. Izuku didn't get a good look at him when he walked in, but could tell he was a thuggish man despite his age. "You've really changed, Mune-san."

"Hey, don't knock it 'til you try it. The food's decent. And cheap." Iwai defended gently, eliciting a bark from his guest.

"Ha! That's comin' from the guy who beat up fifty members of a rival family! Who woulda guessed, eh?"

Izuku blinked, his ears perking up in interest. _Fifty men from a 'rival family'..? So… does that mean he's…_

"You don't need to exaggerate." Izuku didn't miss that Iwai didn't flat out refute the claim. "But speakin' of old days, how's Tsuda-san doin'?"

"Ah, you know how it is. Survivin'. Somethin' particularly hard for men in our line of work nowadays. Heroes everywhere and none of 'em got any respect for what we used to do," the man spat, leaning back in his booth. "You've got that, and now our family's under the umbrella of the Eight Precepts."

"... Why would he go under them? They're pretty damn insane now after their boss fell sick. The kid in charge is nuts."

Izuku was tempted to look back at Iwai. He could hear the caution and disgust in his voice. But it would have been too obvious if he looked back, now.

"They're the strongest family left now, you know? The family had to survive somehow," his friend defended. "But why you even askin'? Didn't you two break ties when you left the family?"

"Well, we were both young. I figured it was about time I buried the hatchet with him. But I can't just go up and talk to him…" Izuku had to admit, Iwai was much better at lying than he was. At least, he thought it was a lie. Considering that Iwai had him here, ready to call at a moment's notice.

"Ah, I see. Tryin' to abide by the ol' code, huh? Okay, I can set up a meetin' for you!"

"No, you fool. I just wanna end up in the same place at the same time. Make it look like a coincidence."

"Ah, okay then… well, Shibaura might work. That's become our little 'business' district you know?"

"Shibaura, huh?" Iwai trailed off and coughed without warning. Remembering that it was his signal, Izuku quickly did as he was ordered to, calling his phone.

"Hang on, I gotta answer this…" Iwai said, putting the phone up to his ear. "Hey, how's it going… what? What part was missing? ...I see. Okay, bring it by the shop now and I'll see if I can fix it… okay, see you soon." Iwai stood from his booth, still holding the phone to his ear. "Hey, I gotta split. A customer had a problem with an order. Sorry about this."

"Ah, don't sweat it. Good seein' you, Mune-san," his friend said, watching as Iwai walked out. Izuku still held the phone up to his head, waiting for Iwai to walk out.

" _Don't hang up,"_ said Iwai. _"Keep it on 'til he leaves."_

 _What did I sign up for?_ Izuku released a sigh, but he did as asked, leaning back in his seat and not looking back.

"Hey, Tsuda-san, it's Masa," Izuku heard behind him, guessing the man was on the phone. "Iwai was askin' about you like you said. Don't worry, I did just as you told me to. Not sure what he's lookin' for, though. Think he's tryin' to squeeze some money out of us? O-Oh, sorry! G-Got it, sorry, boss. I-I'll keep that in mind."

Masa hung up and stood from his seat, finally taking his leave. Izuku watched him intently, taking a small sigh of relief as he watched the door close behind him. "Okay, he's gone, Iwai-san."

" _Gotcha. Looks like he didn't say too much after I left, but still… Shibaura's their playground now, huh?"_ Iwai mused, more to himself than to Izuku.

"Iwai-san… who was that?" Izuku asked, swallowing a lump in his throat.

" _No one you need to be concerned about. Now-"_

"Iwai-san… if… if I'm going to help you, I need to know." Izuku fought to keep his voice steady. "I… I said I didn't mind helping out so long as it wasn't something illegal. And if you have a proper explanation for this, please tell me. I want to help you, but… I need to know what's going on."

A silence followed his small declaration. For a moment, Izuku feared he pushed too far.

" _Heh. Right. You can be pretty gutsy when you wanna be."_

Izuku felt some relief when heard the amusement in Iwai's voice.

" _Havin' you help me out is pretty useful, so pushin' you out now wouldn't do me any good. Tell you what. Next time you come to work, I'll tell you all about what's goin' on. That work for you?"_

Izuku wanted answers now. But he accepted that it'd be better to speak to him in person. "Okay. I can do that."

" _Good. With that, you're all done for today. Feel free to treat yourself to somethin' nice while you're there, and bring me the receipt. I'll pay you back for the meal as part of my thanks."_

"O-Okay… I will." Despite the circumstances, Izuku felt he was coming to a deeper understanding with Iwai. He might have had more questions than answers, but he trusted Iwai would keep his word.

 ***SMASH***

 **Hanged Man Confidant: RANK TWO**

* * *

 **(My Hero Academia OST: I Will Become a Hero!)**

"I'm so glad I got you back for testing, guinea pig!"

Izuku couldn't stop a sheepish laugh from escaping his mouth. Sweat trailed down his brow as his eye twitched nervously. He had imagined returning to U.A. would be a joyous occasion, but it was hard to feel any sort of joy with the way Hatsume Mei was eyeing him.

"I-It's Izuku Midoriya… A-and yeah, I was… excited to come back…" Izuku mumbled, already nervous as he watched Mei begin to rummage through a large bin she had rolled into the garage.

"That's great to hear, Midoriya-kun!" Mei laughed, pulling two harnesses out. One looked like a metal backpack and the other resembled a pair of metallic pair of wings with spouts on the ends.

"Now, I'll let you choose which one of my babies we'll test out today! The first will be the hydraulic attachments! They're made to help evade incoming attacks from all sides at a moment's notice! I need to test their balance and power compensation!" She began to explain, holding up the backpack. "Or you can test the auto-balancer! It's equipped with a 35-axis gyro sensor, meant to keep the user from falling down unless they want to! I just need to test the sensitivity of the sensor and the strength of the balance adjustor! So, which baby would you like to test? They're both eager and waiting to be given their first steps!"

Izuku swallowed a lump in his throat, looking between the two inventions pensively. Neither of them seemed too dangerous, but he found out the hard way that appearances didn't mean anything when it came to Mei's 'babies'.

 _I hope I don't regret this…_

"W-Well… to be honest, I'm really eager to have you help me make my own support items, so…" Izuku took a deep breath, trying to summon his courage. "I-If you don't mind, I'll test both out today."

Mei's jaw slacked, her arms slightly lowering as she stared at Izuku in awe for a moment. It was soon replaced by a dazzling grin of excitement, her eyes sparkling as she gave a hearty laugh. "I see, I see! Yes, I'm sure you are quite eager to have some of my babies at your disposal! And here I thought you wouldn't be so quick to suggest that after our last test!"

"It wasn't easy…" Izuku said under his breath.

"But I can feel your passion, Midoriya-kun! You truly are making for a great guinea pig! Alright! If that's what you want, then that's what we're going to do!" Mei nodded in acceptance, setting the auto-balancer on the ground. "Let's start with the hydraulic attachments! Quick, put the pack on!"

"O-Oh, okay!" Izuku did as he was told, looping his arms through the harness and buckling it up front.

"Usually you'd be the one with the remote in your hand controlling the pack, but for testing purposes, I'll be in control!" Mei declared, her words immediately filling Izuku with dread.

"U-Um… okay, but… p-please don't start it without warning me. I-I need to be ready in case… something goes wrong…"

"Of course, Midoriya-kun! I wouldn't do that to you!" Mei laughed, waving a hand in dismissal.

Izuku breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's why I'm letting you know now! Get ready!"

"W-Wait, already?! But I-"

"START!"

With the press of a button, Izuku watched two poles shoot out of the corner of his pack, striking the ground and propelling him high into the air. He screamed in terror as he rose higher and higher. He came to stop after he reached about seven meters in the air, now suspended high above the ground. He flailed around in a vain attempt to steady himself. It felt like he would fall over any second now.

"Don't panic, Midoriya-kun! It looks like everything is working fine!" Mei called out to him, causing Izuku to stiffen up. "Just perfect! Look how good of a position you're in now, high above oncoming attackers and capable of launching a counterattack at whatever altitude suits you!"

"O-Oh, tha-that's great…" Izuku laughed nervously, sweat beading down his face. "S-So… can you let me down now..?"

"They hydraulics look to be working perfectly, no problems in the height or speed that they launch and lock at…" Mei muttered to herself, jotting notes down onto a clipboard in her hands.

"H-Hatsume-san, can you…" Izuku suddenly felt his weight shift, eyes widening as he slowly started to dip backward. "H-HATSUME-SA~N!"

"Hm? What is-" Mei watched as Izuku fell backwards, crashing into the ground with a heavy thud. Mei winced a bit when she heard the noise and rushed over. "Are you okay, Midoriya-kun? Was my baby destroyed in the fall?"

"N-No… I think…" Izuku grumbled, sprawled out on his back as the pack hadn't even cracked from the fall or his weight. Some part of him wished it was, as his back felt like it was almost snapped in two.

"Ah, that's good. It means I won't have to start from square one. I'll be sure to make some adjustments to the poles to make sure the balance is perfect. Maybe use a stronger metal? Hm…" Mei trailed off, her mind going into overload as she started to jot down notes, forgetting the fact that Izuku was still on the ground.

Izuku slowly climbed to his feet, rubbing his now aching back. It wasn't quite as bad as when he was flung into a tree, but that memory did nothing to soothe the pain. _Still… better than it could have been…_ Izuku took a seat as Mei continued to write in her notes, thankfully giving him something of a break as she took her time.

"Alright! That's all the data I needed from the hydraulic extensions!" Mei said, slamming her notebook shut. "Now it's time to move onto baby number two! The auto-balancer!"

"O-Okay…" Izuku grumbled, sharing none of her excitement.

"Come now, Midoriya-kun! This one should be nowhere near as bad!" Mei laughed, holding her next invention out for him to take. "We've got some padded flooring on the other side of the garage. If something doesn't work right, you may need it."

Izuku followed her further in, strapping the contraption onto his back. He was relieved for the padded flooring because he had no idea what to expect now. "So… what do you want me to do?"

"This one's easy! Just get a good running start before letting your body freefall!" Mei said with a grin. "The auto-balancer, if it's working as we want, will use several quick bursts of wind to stand you back up! Easy, right?"

"Y-Yeah, okay," Izuku nodded, deciding that it definitely wasn't nearly as dangerous as either of the previous tests. He took a small breath in and out, waiting for Mei's call.

"Go!"

Izuku ran forward, going as fast as he could pick up speed. When he thought he was fast enough, with some hesitation, he hopped forward, falling toward the padded floor with his arms spread. Before he could faceplant, the auto-balancer kicked in, unleashing a small burst of air from each thruster, creating enough force to push Izuku's body away from the ground.

Though Izuku would say with too much force, considering he was sent back in an almost ninety-degree spin. "WAH!" the auto-balancer kicked in again, this time blowing out an equal amount of force as before, and flinging him back forward. Thus starting a chain of Izuku going back and forth, never hitting the ground but never quite stopping his freefall. "H-Hatsume-san! S-Stop th-this thing!"

"Looks like I need to adjust the energy output from the thrusters and adjust the delay between turning sides…. You're doing great, Midoriya-kun! Keep it up!"

"HATSUME-SAAA~N!"

It only took five minutes to finally get Mei's attention back to him, Izuku now laid face down on the ground. His head spun and he was on the verge of losing his lunch.

 _Even the least… dangerous of her items ended up being painful to use…_

"You're amazing, Midoriya-kun! Thanks to you, we've gathered all the data I need to fix both of my babies in no time! You truly are the best guinea pig I could have hoped for!" Mei declared while standing over her reeling test subject.

"Th-Thanks… I think…"

"I appreciate it, I really do! Enough in fact that I'm willing to part a prototype of mine with you as a reward!"

Izuku felt some of his strength return, pushing up enough to look at Mei. "R-Really?"

"Yup! I can work on another item for you in the future, but this should be enough for now. Watch!" Mei said, speeding past Izuku and producing a gun-shaped item from her belt. She took aim at several standing dummies by the wall. "Behold, the capture gun!"

She pulled the trigger, shooting a small ball out that burst after travelling five meters, wrapping around three dummies and netting them together. Izuku's eyes widened in awe, stumbling a bit as he tried to stand. "W-Wow, you're… going to give that to me?"

"Of course! Considering your Quirk is vision-based, you need whatever you can get to disable villains by other means, after all. I have a fine-tuned model built already, so I'm giving you this one plus ten net balls!" Mei said, holding the capture gun out to Izuku. He took it gingerly, inspecting the item with great care.

"Wow, this should be… really helpful, Hatsume-san. Thank you!" Izuku said, turning to the inventor with a bright smile.

"Of course! If you need any more net balls, be sure to let me know in the future!" Mei said before placing a hand on his shoulder, her expression becoming intense. "And also… make sure that it doesn't get used for anything illegal or end up in the hands of some copycat… **kay?** "

Izuku nodded fervently. "Y-Yes, ma'am! I promise!"

Mei's intensity quickly vanished, replaced by another determined smile. "Great! Now go out and use it to your liking! Get a taste of my baby's power and see what you can expect more of in the future! And the more you test out for me, the more I'll be willing to share with you!"

"Understood, Hatsume-san! Thank you!" Izuku smiled, stuffing the capture gun away. As painful and strenuous as the tests had been, Izuku couldn't help but walk away with a spring in his step. Not only had he met her expectations, he was also walking away with something very useful. He could imagine its uses while in the Palace.

All in all, he thought today was progress well made between him and Mei.

 ***SMASH***

 **Fortune Confidant: RANK TWO**

* * *

"You know, it's getting pretty late. Maybe now's a good time for you to go to sleep."

"After I… finish this last one up…" Izuku mumbled, trying to keep his concentration on the infiltration tool at hand. After getting home from U.A., Izuku asked Morgana to teach him how to make several tools. Currently, he was building an Element Set from the materials they picked up throughout the Palace.

"You said we're sending the calling card tomorrow, right? Are you sure you want to stay up this late after the day you had?" Morgana asked in concern, peeking past his shoulder and checking his progress.

"It's okay… today was… rough, but nothing too bad…" Izuku said, forgetting the bag of ice taped to his back. "And we even got another tool to use… But I'm going to make sure we're fully prepared. Ryuji-senpai and Kitagawa-san are doing their part. I want to do mine."

"Well… if you're that set on it, I won't stop you. Just try not to spend too long on it, okay?" Morgana said, impressed with Izuku's progress on the set. He was almost finished creating the freeze spray.

He could hear Morgana hop off the table and walking around the room. As Izuku adjusted the head of the aerosol can, he heard the sound of books toppling. Stopping his work, he looked back at Morgana. The cat glanced back sheepishly, rubbing his head with a paw.

"S-Sorry about that. I just saw something that looked interesting and tried to pull it out…" Morgana said while looking down at the scattered books.

"It's okay. Just leave it there and I'll clean it up when I'm done," Izuku said with a kind smile as he prepared to turn back to infiltration tool.

"Hey… what's this? 'Hero Analysis for the Future No. 13'?"

Izuku winced, quickly spinning back around. "A-Ah, that's-"

"Whoa, did you write all this?" Morgana asked, skimming through the pages with his paw. "You really did take your hero worship to the next level!"

Izuku blushed at that, looking down in embarrassment as he rubbed his head. "W-Well, that's…."

"Hoho~ What's this? Mount Lady is 'sexy', is she?" Morgana said, his tone hiding none of his amusement. "Now we know you're into taller girls, huh?"

"W-Wait, you're misunderstanding!" Izuku waved his arms sporadically. "Y-You see, at that time, Mount Lady was a brand new Hero on the scene! I watched her help Kamui Woods and several other Heroes take down a villain rampaging through town. She ended up dealing the final hit and um… made a point to… flaunt her assets…" He coughed, trying not to sound demeaning. "I-It's not unusual for some Heroes to use their looks to their advantage, man or woman. Mount Lady was definitely trying to get that sort of attention when making her debut."

Morgana tilted his head in thought, taking in the information. "I see… so you just took note of what she was going for… okay… though I'm only half-convinced because it's you saying this."

Izuku let his head hang, refusing to offer him the dignity of a response.

"Still… I have to admit, the notes you've taken are impressive," Morgana continued, causing Izuku to look back up at him again. "Even though you're a fanboy, I have to wonder… why take notes on so many different Heroes? All Might seems like the one you admire most, but you've got a whole catalog of Heroes in here."

Izuku gave a nostalgic smile, standing up from his chair and walking over to Morgana. He reached down and grabbed the notebook, holding it up and flipping through the pages.

"Because… I thought that maybe, if I could figure out how so many different Heroes made it… How their strengths worked and how I might be able to use them to my own advantage… I'd be able to get into U.A." Izuku closed the book, gazing at the charred, crinkled cover with a gentle expression. "I thought if I just worked hard enough and studied hard enough, I could make it, even without a Quirk. But in the end, it really wasn't in the cards for me, huh?"

His eyes trailed over to Morgana, who was now looking somewhat ashamed. "I… I see. I'm… sorry for bringing that up. I know being a Hero meant the world to you."

 **(My Hero Academia OST: You can Become a Hero)**

"It did, but… I'm over it now." Izuku declared, causing Morgana to look up at him in surprise. "It's true! Ever since meeting you and becoming a phantom thief, I… I've found a new purpose to pursue. In fact, I want to show you something."

Izuku grabbed his book bag by the workbench and pulled out a bundle of notebooks. He undid the strap and pulled out a notebook at the center, turning around with a sheepish expression as the cat approached to see what he was holding.

"I was… sort of hiding it because I was kind of embarrassed, but I think it's okay to show you now." Izuku held out the notebook in his hand, placing it on the ground for Morgana to read.

"... 'Shadow and Persona Analysis for the Present No. 1'..." Morgana read aloud, slowly pulling the cover back to read through the pages.

"I made sure to include everyone's Personas in there and what we know about their strengths and weaknesses in combat! Not to mention I made note of all the Shadows we've encountered and which ones I was able to capture!" Izuku explained with a glint in his eyes, watching as Morgana looked through it in stunned silence. "I want to make sure everyone's using their powers to the fullest and we approach enemies with all the info we need to take them down."

"Izuku, this is… amazing…" Morgana mumbled, looking back up at the green-haired teen. "I knew you took your position as leader seriously, but…"

"I've accepted that I'll never become a Pro Hero now. It's just a fact," Izuku said, his voice solemn but firm. "But even if I can't be a legitimate Hero like I wanted, I can still help people in different ways. I can save people who have been overlooked or silenced. And that's thanks to you, Morgana-san."

"You're… thanking me?"

"Of course! If you hadn't taught us everything about the Metaverse, this never would have been possible!" Izuku declared, flashing a vibrant smile. "Thank you, Morgana-san! I'm really glad we met!"

The cat looked away shyly, rubbing his paws together as he struggled to find the words. "W-Well… I'm… h-happy to hear that you're grateful… I-I accept your thanks…"

Izuku's smile only widened. He could feel his bond with Morgana deepen now that he'd finally given his thanks to the cat for everything he'd done.

 ***SMASH***

 **Magician Confidant: RANK THREE**

As the darkness faded, Izuku watched as Morgana coughed into his paw, trying to regain his composure and look stern.

"W-Well, if you'd really like to show your appreciation, I wouldn't be opposed to getting some fatty tuna if you'd get it for me!"

"Okay, I don't mind doing that for you," Izuku nodded in acceptance. "If you want, we can walk to the fish market and get some sushi from there. It's not too late for some of the stores, and Sakura-san gave me a key to lock up for him if I do leave."

"That would… be acceptable," Morgana said, giving him a feline smile. "Let's go."

Izuku nodded, standing up and grabbing his jacket and shoulder bag after Morgana hopped in.

"Hey… Izuku?"

"Yeah?"

"I… I'm glad we met, too."

* * *

The smile Madarame wore for his admirers was well-practiced. It had done well to hide the faint anxiety and irritation that lingered in his mind. At first, after dealing with Yusuke's unwanted guests, he had decided to wait until his exhibit was over to press charges and thought that would be the end of that. After all, they were just stupid kids. No one would listen to their 'lies' over his word.

But Madarame couldn't shake the grating feeling they were becoming a bigger problem than he first thought. The famous 'artist' almost felt paranoid with how much he seethed over their invasion of his home and exposing his secrets to his sole remaining student.

He spared a glance back at Yusuke, who was attending to arrangements with the exhibit staff nearby. He had been silent about that day's turn of events and didn't attempt to bring it up again. Part of Madarame remained suspicious of Yusuke's loyalty. Had his student shrugged off what happened? Or was he plotting against him with those brats?

 _He better stay in line. Or else._

"Sir," Madarame pulled his gaze away from his student, giving one of his security staff a feigned smile. "There's something we need to discuss with you. It's urgent."

"Alright." He nodded, looking at his patrons. "Please excuse me for a moment." He followed the guard off to the side, the two huddling close and whispering, "What is it?"

"We found this outside," the guard held out a small black and red card for him.

"A letter?"

"It's… uh…" The guard hesitated, causing Madarame to raise a brow. He took the letter, inspecting the words pasted across it with different fonts.

 _Sir Ichiryusai Madarame,_

 _A great sinner of Vanity whose_

 _Talent has been exhausted._

 _You are an artist who shamelessly uses his_

 _Authority to steal the ideas of his pupils._

 _We have decided to make you confess your crimes with_

 _Your own mouth._

 _We will take your distorted desires without fail._

 _From, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts_

Madarame's mask of serenity melted away. He quickly crumpled up the paper in his hands, looking up at the guard in anger. "Who's doing is this?!"

"We don't know! The same card has been posted everywhere!" The staff member explained nervously. "We checked the cameras and saw no signs of a culprit! All we caught sight of was some stray cat running around!"

"Remove all of these cards at once!" Madarame ordered him furiously.

"O-Of course, sir!" Madarame turned from him, but noticed that he lingered a moment. "Um…"

"What else is there?"

"W-Well, we here at the studio think it's nothing but a prank, but… what about the media, sir?"

"Are you insinuating that this slander is true?!"

"N-No, sir!"

"Then hurry up and deal with the remaining cards! Now!" Madarame watched the exhibit guard run off, gritting his teeth. _It's those damn brats again… Oh, well. They can only do as they please until the exhibit is over…_

Madarame didn't notice his student walking off to one of the standing walls of the exhibit to meet with Izuku and the others close by.

"Will that be enough?" asked Yusuke.

Izuku stepped up first, his brow hardened. "Yeah. Let's finish this, everyone."

"Right!"

* * *

 **(Persona 5 OST: Life Will Change)**

"Figures there'd be a guard in there," Ryuji clicked his tongue, he, Makoto and Ann standing just outside the security room overlooking the Treasure.

"We could fight our way through, but that'd make too much noise," Makoto sighed, rubbing her chin. "We'll have to get someone to lead it away."

"Welp, guess that's where I come in," Ryuji said, rolling his shoulders in preparation.

"Are you sure you're up for it, Skull?" Ann asked in concern. "What if he catches you?"

"Heh. Don't underestimate the former ace of the track team," Ryuji declared. "Plus, I've been storin' up some energy. Once I'm far enough, I'll split real quick."

"Okay… just remember not to push your Quirk too hard," Ann said with a nod. "We'll leave it to you."

"If something goes wrong, meet us at the control room," said Makoto as she and Ann hid behind the planters nearby.

Ryuji stepped up to the door, giving it a quick rap. "He~lp! We've got some suspicious lookin' fools out here! I need help catchin' 'em!" he immediately took off, hearing the door behind him slam open, the Shadow in hot pursuit. Ann and Makoto stepped out of their cover as the Shadow was led away.

"You better make it back, Skull," Ann muttered before she and Makoto walked inside the security room.

"I trust he knows what he's doing. Now for us to do our part." Makoto said, peering out the glass to see Yusuke and Morgana standing in the scaffolding above.

"Is that secure enough?" Yusuke asked, tying Morgana securely to the hanging hook.

Morgana grinned in excitement. "It's perfect! I'm ready to nab the Treasure!"

"You seem to be enjoying yourself," Yusuke mentioned in mild interest.

"Only the best can appreciate these critical moments! Plus, this makes us feel like real phantom thieves!" said Morgana out of pure joy.

"We'll be counting on you, Mona," Yusuke said, turning to look down at the security room. He made out Makoto and Ann through the glass and gave a quick wave. The two quickly shut the lights off, causing the room to darken completely. Yusuke jogged back to the control room, looking down at Izuku. "Now, Hero!"

"Got it!" Izuku quickly pulled the lever, lowering Morgana into the exhibit area. He pulled out his Staff and Yusuke drew his sword, preparing to engage any Shadow that walked in. To their relief, the first person to step through the door was Ryuji.

"Sup? Everythin' goin' well?" Ryuji asked, wiggling his right leg out.

"How's your leg?" Izuku asked.

"It's cool. That Shadow was harder to lose than I thought, so I ended up usin' it for a bit longer than I'da liked." Ryuji admitted. The doors quickly swung open, both Makoto and Ann coming through this time.

"Oh good, you made it here first," Ann breathed in relief when she saw Ryuji.

"Told ya I'd be fine!" He gave her a thumbs up.

"Alright, we're all here. Let's go see how Mona's doing," Izuku said, waving for the others to follow as he hopped up to the scaffolding. Walking out together, they saw Morgana walking toward them, the Treasure covered in purple cloth.

"I present to you Madarame's Treasure!" Morgana grinned, holding it up for them to see.

"You're amazin', Mona!" Ryuji said in awe.

"The Treasure! It's been taken from the display!" they heard the guards below calling out, the Shadows going into a frenzy.

"Those damn vermin dare..?" Madarame's Shadow growled before scoffing. "But this just means they're easier to catch. Lock all the doors out! Find them!"

"Going out the way we came isn't an option," Izuku sighed, looking over his shoulder as he heard Shadows bust through the control room doors.

"The window! That way!" Makoto pointed out, causing the group to look to the side.

"But where will it go?" Ann asked with reluctance.

"Seems like our only option, regardless. Let's go!" Morgana said, everyone quickly agreeing before hopping across the scaffolding. They made their way out the window after Izuku checked to make sure there was footing.

"Holy crap, we're high up!" Ryuji exclaimed, peering over the side. From where he stood, the buildings looked like toy models.

"We don't have time to enjoy the view, come on!" said Morgana.

"Come on, this way!" Izuku called, rushing to a side of artistically designed blocks along the building, hopping down one by one. They pushed as far as they could, but were forced to stop at an edge of the building, a lone red portal door standing tall to their left.

"This looks like one of those blue doors from that room," Yusuke pointed out, eyeing it cautiously. "But where will it take us?"

"I'm not sure, but… I don't think we have any choice," Izuku said, looking around the sides for any other options. Sadly, they were still far too high in the air to risk a jump.

"Shit, for real? Well, not like we got any other way," Ryuji clicked his tongue.

"Be ready for an ambush! We have no idea where it'll take us in the Palace, so dropping our guard now because we lost them would be a mistake."

"Right! Lead the way, Hero!" Ann said in support. Izuku did as asked, moving forward with everyone close behind him. Going through the red light, Izuku was soon met with a drastic change in scenery.

"This is the courtyard where we opened the door…" Izuku mumbled, looking around in wonder.

"I knew all that security had a purpose! It would have been meaningless if it only led back inside," Morgana hopped up and down in accomplishment.

"Well, that aside, it seems we've escaped their siege," Yusuke said, eyes peering around for any Shadows.

"We're not out of this, yet. We need to keep going. It shouldn't be far now," Izuku said, beginning to walk forward.

"M-Mroow?"

Everyone hesitated, looking at Morgana after his sudden purr.

"Huh? Mona?" Ann raised a brow.

"Gah! I can't take it! Let's take a look at the Treasure!" Morgana exclaimed, pulling the painting off his back.

"Wha-dude! Right now?!" Ryuji blanched in disbelief. "You choose now of all times to get excited?!"

"This has happened before..?" Makoto asked, raising a brow at Izuku.

"Y-Yeah, it happened with the previous treasure, too…" Izuku sighed, walking up to Morgana. "Mona, we don't have time! If we stay on task, we can avoid any trouble!"

"Just a quick peek! No harm no foul!" Morgana said, putting the painting on the ground and pulling at the fabric covering it. Izuku sighed, walking over with everyone else to take a look. "Treasure~!" Morgana exclaimed as he finally drew it away for everyone to see.

The team gave a unanimous blink, eyes wide as plates as the Treasure was revealed to be… a poorly made face outline. "Huh?"

"Th-That's the Treasure?" Ryuji blurted. In the corner of his eye, Yusuke watched one of the security gates lift up.

"Look out!"

Everyone looked up at once, reacting just in the nick of time to avoid getting caught in the electric field created.

"Hmph. Meddlesome vermin."

The Thieves snapped their heads back, watching as Madarame approached them with two guards at his side. Under one of his guard's arms was a painting, hidden from view. "Is _this_ what you're looking for?"

"So you had a fake prepped, huh?" Ryuji huffed.

Madarame chuckled with a proud smile. "Counterfeits are accepted in the world of art."

"That was a smart choice. But you've made the big mistake of bringing the real Treasure here for us," Makoto declared, gripping her knuckle dusters and stomping a foot into the ground. Everyone soon drew their melee weapons, preparing for a fight. "We'll be taking it, now."

"Hmph. Such childish dreams you have if you think you can take this precious thing from me," Madarame grinned. Before the team could make an attack, Yusuke stepped forward.

"What made you change like this?! Was it becoming famous?!" Yusuke asked. "Can't you understand how it pains me to ask these questions of my own foster father?!"

Madarame's gaze shifted to Yusuke, watching him for a long moment. "... Now that I think back, the only reason I took you in was because of my ties to your mother. That woman never lost her passion for painting even after her husband died. Her skills and talents were quite astonishing… which is why I decided to look after her." Madarame's grin became twisted, the glint in his eyes turned manic. "Your mother and all her works were MY works of art!"

"How low can you sink?!" spat Ann.

"How many people have you used, Madarame?!" Izuku demanded.

"I suppose I could grant you one last 'gift' before you die…" Madarame smirked, his gaze remaining on the silently seething Yusuke. "A look at the _genuine_ Sayuri!"

"Genuine..?" Yusuke muttered. His fury was replaced with confusion soon when Madarame signaled the guard holding the painting with a nod. The Shadow held it up for all to see, presenting a painting of Sayuri. But in the woman's arms was a baby wrapped in a white cloth.

Yusuke's face drained of color. "It can't be… this is the real… Sayuri?" Yusuke winced, emotions overwhelming him. "Mom…"

"That's right. Sayuri was a self-portrait of your mother. A woman who knew her impending death was coming painted her last wishes for the son she would leave behind." Madarame began, his voice surprisingly grave. But that expression quickly morphed into that of morbid amusement. "That is the truth behind the mystery of Sayuri's expression!"

"You stole something that personal?!" Ryuji shouted.

"I knew at first glance. I knew it'd become a huge success if I added a touch to the painting and announced it under my name!" Madarame went on, grinning at his 'achievement'.

"But… why did you paint over the babe in the picture..?" Yusuke asked, his voice weak.

"It was all to stage it! I knew if I removed the baby from the picture, Sayuri's expression would remain a mystery!" Madarame gave a callous laugh. "That is what the general public is drawn to! Each of those parasitic critics wrote the same thing!

"How could you?! If you took in Kitagawa-san, you had to have cared about his mother, at least!" Izuku snapped. "How could you do that to the painting of someone you cared about?!"

"Yeah! If you had any love for that painting or the one who made it, there's no way you would have replicated it!" Ann added, stomping her heel in front of her "You don't love art at all!"

"You have a real treasure right there, but your own work is nothing better than those scribbles on the fake!" Morgana hissed.

"Your 'skills' just make me laugh, asshole!" Ryuji huffed.

"I've changed my mind. We'll take the painting **after** we beat some sense into you!" Makoto clenched her weapons even tighter. "You'll get no more mercy from us!"

"Hmph. So you still plan on defying me?" Madarame huffed, looking down his nose at them before his gaze trailed to Yusuke. "Since you're one of my works of art, Yusuke, it seems I'll have to reap you now for the sake of my future. Along with your meddlesome friends."

"I can't believe you'd treat both mother and son like they're objects! You're inhuman!" said Ann. Despite his words, Yusuke was disturbingly silent, causing the others to shift their gaze to him.

"Fox..?"

"... I've heard that you 'destroy' your art once they've outlived their usefulness…" Yusuke began, his voice grave. "Did that include my **mother** as well?"

The Thieves' breath hitched in their chests, quickly shifting their gaze back to Madarame. Disturbingly enough, the counterfeiter gave a malicious smile.

"She just so happened to have a seizure in front of me. That's when a thought crossed my mind… if I left her be, I could obtain her painting with no strings attached."

"No… you let her die?!" Ann asked in disbelief.

"You… you monster!" Izuku's hands shook with fury as he gripped his staff tighter.

"Above all, Yusuke, don't you think it odd that I 'discovered' your talent from the young age of three?" Madarame continued, his tone hiding none of his twisted amusement. "The real reason I kept you around was to keep you from discovering the truth behind Sayuri!"

"You killed her…" Yusuke trembled with rage.

"Your artistic talent was a delightful miscalculation on my part, though. If I'm to steal ideas, it's much easier to steal from brats that won't talk back than adults. It's thanks to you that I came up with the idea. You have my gratitude." Madarame continued, holding back no punches as he twisted the dagger deeper.

Yusuke's only answer to these treacherous words was a sharp chuckle.

"Yusuke..?" Ann muttered in concern.

"I thank you, Madarame. For you've just erased any and all reason I might forgive you," Yusuke said, leveling his gaze back at his former master. "You aren't some rotten artist… you're a vicious fiend who wears the skin of an artist!"

"All you good-for-nothings! Barging into my museum and doing whatever you want!" Madarame finally barked out in anger, becoming frustrated with their defiance. The room started to darken, a pool of red and black ooze forming at his feet. "Those who have the connections make the rules; those who don't, follow them! Art is all subjective, and now _I_ make the rules in that world! I am the supreme being! I am the god of the art world!"

 **(Persona 5 OST: Blooming Villain)**

"This isn't good! Get back!" Morgana warned. Everyone jumped back as the black ooze absorbed Madarame. The Thieves watched as what looked like four picture frames take shape. The frames contained a pair of eyes, a nose and a mouth. Each part squirmed around in the air like a living thing.

" **I'll paint all over you!"**

"What the shit?!" Ryuji blurted in disgust.

"Careful! This is like Kamoshida! His Shadow should be incredibly strong!" Morgana warned the others.

"But I don't see the Treasure! How are we going to weaken it?!" Ann asked, reaching up to her mask.

"We'll just have to keep hitting him!" Izuku said, gritting his teeth as he took a fighting stance. "We're stronger than we were before! We can do this!"

"We shall not be denied the Treasure because of something like this!" Yusuke roared, drawing the katana and pointing the blade forward. "You're going down now, Madarame!"

"We'll see about that, you vermin!" The Shadow's mouth snarled, its eyes twitching back and forth between the Thieves. "You're all going to die here!"

"We're tired of hearing your mouth!" Makoto hissed, grabbing her mask. "Come, Johanna!" She summoned her Persona, hopping on top of it and revving its wheel before driving directly at the Madarame's Shadow.

"Stop marking my floors with your tires, you trash!" The nose portrait blew out a heated breeze from its nostril. Makoto pulled up on the handles, narrowly avoiding a powerful explosion of flame.

"Careful, Queen! I've got your back!" said Ann as she ripped her mask off. "Carmen! Maragi!" The busty Persona stamping her followers to unleash a barrage of flame at the Palace Ruler. It ate the entire attack, flames blazing through the air. She prepared to follow up on that attack but froze when the smoke cleared

"Hmph. what an annoyance," The Shadow scoffed. The Thieves watched as the eyes absorbed the flames painlessly as the same green aura of healing like Dia surrounded them.

Ryuji blanched. "What the hell?! It didn't do nothin'?!"

"Not only nothing, it healed the Shadow!" Morgana announced to the others.

"No, not all of it!" Izuku shouted, drawing his friends' attention. "Only the eyes! The mouth and the nose didn't absorb it the same way!"

"Are you vermin done chatting? Because now you're going to suffer!" The Shadow cackled, its nose once again blowing out a breeze. This time it was cold, producing a pure ball of ice directly at Ann. She could barely react, putting up her arms before taking the full brunt of the attack.

"Agh!" Ann cried out, being thrown back by the force of the ice explosion.

"Panther!" Everyone cried out, Ryuji the first to move and rush to her side as she fell to the ground. He slid across the floor, quickly moving to her side.

"Panther! You okay?!" He asked, cradling her up in his arms.

"I-I'm okay, just… need a second," Ann said groggily, slowly forcing herself to sit up.

"Skull, keep Panther safe while she recovers! Mona, heal her up!" Izuku ordered, quickly rushing at the Palace Ruler with a hand on his mask.

"You monster, Madarame!" Yusuke snarled, quickly drawing his mask away. "Goemon, strike!" Hefting its axe of a pipe, Goemon slashed down on the nose. It dealt a noticeable amount of damage, but it wasn't enough to destroy the portrait.

"Gah! You ungrateful brat!" Madarame growled, the mouth of the paintings lunging at Yusuke. Izuku was quick to intercept it, drawing his mask.

"Come, Yaksini!" A female, purple being materialized behind Izuku, the Persona wielding two blades in its hands and swinging them back. Before entering the Palace, Izuku had spent time with the twins fusing several of his Personas into completely new ones as part of his strongest lineup yet.

 _The nose didn't absorb physical damage like it did the fire, so this should-_

Izuku felt sweat form on his face as he watched Yaksini's attack completely bounce off the mouth. Not only was it completely ignored, the force was drained and used to heal the mouth.

"Hah! Foolish child!" The Shadow cackled as the mouth continued unimpeded, biting down on Yaksini's arm and transmitting the damage to Izuku.

"Gah!" Izuku cried out in pain, feeling his arm bruise from the pressure.

"Hero!" Makoto spun back into the fray as Johanna's face began to glow with power. "Frei!" A ball of radioactive energy burst forth, blasting the Shadow's painted mouth and making it recoil back in pain.

"Gragh! You insolent-" Makoto didn't bother to listen, quickly grabbing Izuku and pulling him onto the bike.

"Are you okay?" she asked while circling around the courtyard.

"I-I'm okay… it's strong, though," Izuku hissed in pain, rubbing his tender arm gently. "I was careless. Each painting has different weaknesses. The mouth absorbs physical damage while the rest doesn't."

"Frei seemed to work on the mouth, at least. We'll have to test everything on it. Sadly, that means we'll be feeding it energy every time we use the wrong attack." She and Izuku peered over their shoulders to look at Madarame's Shadow.

"Target the nose! It appears to be the source of its elemental attacks!" Yusuke advised to the others, Morgana jumping to his side and summoning Zorro.

"Let's hit it with everything! Come on!" Morgana called out Zorro, who spun its rapier between its fingers to prepare to unleash a Garu spell.

"You shall all be painted over!" The Shadow roared. Black ink flew from the portraits without warning and splattered across both of the Thieves before they could attack.

"Wh-What is this?! I feel… weak…" Morgana mumbled, falling over as he failed to cast Garu.

"I-I'm not sure, but…" Yusuke mumbled, gritting his teeth as he looked back up at Madarame's Shadow, eyes widening as its nose drew in a breath. "W-Watch out!"

The wind coalesced into a ball of lightning that exploded on contact with the ground. Yusuke had grabbed Morgana before it hit and jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding a direct hit. Even still, both of them tumbled across the floor reeling from the blow.

"I-It didn't… hit us directly, and yet…" Yusuke groaned, gritting his teeth.

"Th-The black ink… it's making us… more susceptible to damage…" Morgana ground out, pushing on his paws to stand up. Makoto quickly drove in front of the two with Izuku hopping off and taking a defensive position in front of them.

"We've been too reckless. We need to regroup and come up with a plan!" Izuku told them, reaching into his jacket.

"You vermin will get no chances! I'll wash over each of you with my paint and erase you!" Madarame's Shadow growled again, breathing deeply as it prepared for another attack. Izuku only narrowed his eyes and produced a white ball from his jacket. Before the Palace Ruler could strike, Izuku slammed the ball into the ground, creating a thick cloud of smoke that quickly filled their surroundings.

"Wh-What?!" The Shadow blanched before snarling. "You think you can hide from me?!" It blew another furious ball of flame out, blasting into the area Madarame assumed they were still standing in. The cloud of smoke was easily pierced, but there was no sign of his prey anywhere as the smoke cleared. "You little… COME OUT NOW!" Ink shot out around the area from the paintings, but the Thieves were safe behind the stone displays in the courtyard.

"Shit! If that crap hits us, we'll be in trouble!" Ryuji said, keeping an arm over Ann's head to keep her covered.

"We've figured out a few things about Madarame's Shadow. But proceeding isn't going to be easy from here," Makoto said, looking back at Izuku. "Any ideas?"

"Avoiding the ink is our top priority." Izuku looked over Morgana and Yusuke. "Are you guys better now?"

"It looks like it's fading… I'm still hurt from the damage we took, but it's nothing we can't handle," Morgana stood up and patted himself off to punctuate the thought.

"It seems the ink does not linger for long. Still, when it's on you, it saps your energy while making you more vulnerable to attack," Yusuke explained

"To top it off, the portraits absorb different types of damage to restore its own health," Ann said, gently touching Ryuji's shoulder. "Thanks, Skull. I'm fine now."

"Gotcha."

"Then let's focus on one portrait at a time. We'll go for the nose like Yusuke suggested," Izuku said, focusing on his masks and changing Personas. "We know it will still take physical damage. Let's not test our luck with anything else. Skull, Fox and I will go for the nose. Queen, Panther and Mona, you guys will work on the rest of the portraits. Try and find more of its strengths!"

"Right!"

"Before we rush in, here!" Morgana summoned Zorro, casting Media and washing everyone over with a healing wave. "We need to be more mindful this time."

"Okay. Ready?" Izuku asked. Everyone got up with weapons in hand. "Let's move!"

The Thieves burst out of their cover. Makoto summoned Johanna and rode out with Ann and Morgana riding in the back.

"Don't give him a chance to strike!" Yusuke exclaimed as he, Ryuji and Izuku went into full sprints toward the Shadow.

"Hah! You fools are nothing but lambs to the slaughter!" Madarame's Shadow laughed, inhaling a breath into its nose and preparing to blast them.

"Don't even think about it!" Morgana and Makoto each blasted an eye with a gust of wind and a blast of nuclear energy. While one eye recoiled in pain from the nuclear blast, the other drained the wind, absorbing it into health. "C-Crap! Wind's not effective on the eye!"

"You still can't stop me!" The Shadow laughed, blowing another blast forward from its nostrils.

"Come, Shiisaa!" Izuku called out, summoning a yellow and blue maned creature resembling the ancient Shishi's. Izuku jumped on its back as it ran, dodging the attack as his Persona hopped over the explosion before it could hit.

"Here's some help! Wreck him!" Ryuji pointed at Izuku, a red field washing over him and his Persona.

"Take this, Madarame!" Izuku roared, hopping off of Shiisaa as they sailed toward the Palace Ruler. The Persona let out a snarl before bringing its claw down, tearing three holes in the fabric across the nose. As Izuku descended, he twisted in the air and slammed his staff into the same portrait. He let out a fierce cry before following through and knocking the portrait to the ground.

"Graagh~! Yo~u da~mn vermin!" The Shadow's other portraits seized in pain as the nose began to crack.

"Let us be rid of it!" Yusuke called forth Goemon, the towering Persona stomping the ground as it slammed the axe end of its pipe onto the nose. With that last bit of damage, it cut it in half, causing both sides to dissipate into black ink before their eyes.

"N-No~! How could you?! How could you?!" It wailed, each portrait spazzing around. Izuku climbed back onto Shiisaa, turning on a dime and running back to join the others.

"Alright! That's one portrait down!" Izuku said as he fell back in line next to Yusuke and Ryuji some ways away from Madarame. "Now let's find the other portraits' weaknesses!"

"Right!" The others sounded back, preparing to run forward. They stopped in their tracks when the portraits went still, the eyes glaring down at them as the mouth twisted into a malicious grin.

"Hehehehe… You foolish vermin… don't understand my power!" It roared with laughter, its eyes flashing with red light. The Thieves gawked as a black puddle formed underneath the portraits. From it, the same nose they destroyed had taken shape again.

"N-No effin' way…" Ryuji mumbled as the Palace Ruler was restored to its full power.

"That thing can regenerate?!" Morgana gasped in disbelief.

"Everyone, get back!" Makoto called out in fear.

"You're too late!" Madarame's Shadow spat a wave of black ink from its mouth, covering Izuku, Ryuji and Yusuke. The three fell back as their strength was sapped. Izuku grit his teeth as he looked up at the nose, watching it inhale a gust of wind.

 _H-He's going to strike again! I-I have to stop him!_ Izuku quickly switched Personas, bringing Carter back out with his fist glowing with blinding light.

"Die!"

"Tarunda!" Ann quickly shouted, her Persona draining some of the Nose's firepower.

" **Virginia SMASH!"** Izuku roared, feeling his arm tremble as Carter brought its fist forward and collided with the wave of wind Madarame produced. Normally, Carter would have easily overpowered the attack. But the ink dulled his mightiest blow enough that they simply cancelled out.

Izuku heaved for air, sweat trailing down his face as he fell to his hands and knees. His body wasn't listening to him. His limbs quaked as they lost every ounce of strength they had left.

 _I… I need to get up! Come on, move!_

"Good save, Hero! Come on!" said Ryuji. He and Yusuke quickly wrapping their arms under Izuku's and pulled him behind cover.

"We need to let the ink fade again!" Yusuke suggested, gritting his teeth as he mustered the strength to carry Izuku and run at the same time.

"Don't think you can get away!" Madarame prepared another attack, breathing gust into its nose.

"Lucky Punch!"

The nose was sent spinning off course when a spring-powered boxing glove collided with it. Madarame's Shadow groaned in pain, eyes glaring up as it saw Morgana, Makoto and Ann quickly move in front of the others.

"You're not going to do as you please!" Morgana proclaimed, pointing his scimitar at Madarame's Shadow.

"Keep them covered, Queen! We'll hold him off while the ink fades!" Ann said, flailing her whip before running at Madarame with Morgana.

"On it!" Makoto said, quickly driving back over to the Izuku and the others. "I've got you covered. Diarama!" A green wave washed over Izuku, bringing him enough relief to stand up on his own.

"Thanks, Queen… but damn it, what are we supposed to do?!" Izuku clicked his tongue, looking back at the Palace Ruler, which was busy deflecting Carmen and Zorro's attacks. "If we take out one piece, it'll just regenerate it!"

Makoto's gaze returned to the fight. "We'll just have to take them all out at once."

"But how?! That asshole's portraits resist all different shit! We'll just keep feedin' it power 'til we run out!" Ryuji cursed, gritting his teeth in frustration.

"It may be our only choice. We'll have to discover the weakness of each individual part and hope we do enough damage before he can stop us," Yusuke sighed, looking at his body. "Though with it spreading this black ink everywhere and weakening us, even that seems impossible. If only we could use it ourselves…"

Izuku's eyes lit up as a smile crept onto his face. "T-That's it! You're right, Fox! We'll beat him using the ink!"

"Huh? How?" Ryuji blinked in confusion. Izuku's gaze trailed back to Makoto, holding up his arm.

"Do you think there's enough ink on us for you to mimic?"

* * *

"Burn him, Carmen!" Ann ordered. The Persona flung several fireballs directly into the mouth and nose. The Palace Ruler growled but remained undeterred.

"I grow tired of this constant game of cat and mouse! You're all going to be washed away here!" Madarame roared, unleashing another barrage of black ink that covered Ann and Morgana this time.

"D-Drat! Be careful, Panther!" Morgana warned as he willed Zorro forward to cover them.

"Begone!" The Shadow inhaled yet again to prepare another attack. But before it got the chance, the eyes spotted Johanna charging it at full speed. "Hmph! You won't catch me by surprise, vermin!" It took aim at Makoto and her Persona, coating the ground with a wave of ice that crawled towards her.

"We'll see about that! Vajra Blast!" Makoto lifted the front tire of Johanna up before slamming it back down, using the power from her attack to launch her and the Persona high into the air, positioning herself perfectly above Madarame's Shadow.

"You can't escape my power!" The portrait's mouth roared and took another breath. But before it could unleash its next attack, a net burst around its eyes and nose and tied them together. "Wh-What?!"

"You've lost, Madarame!" Izuku exclaimed with the capture gun in hand. He shifted his attention up to Makoto. "Now, Queen!"

"You like that ink so much?! Have a taste for yourself!" Makoto cocked her right arm back. Her glove had been pulled off and her fist was now pitch black. With a forward thrust, Makoto shot a stream of ink out from her arm like a fire hose.

"Wh-What?! H-How-" The Palace Ruler's words came to an abrupt stop as each portrait was drenched in black ink, causing it to slowly lower the hover of each part closer to the ground. "W-What did you do?! H-How could you have…"

"Now, everyone!" Makoto exclaimed, pointing at Madarame. "Hit it with everything you've got!"

The eyes trailed forward weakly, portraits trembling with fear as each of the Thieves stood front and center together.

"Together!" Izuku said, placing a hand on his mask.

"Carter!"

"Captain Kidd!"

"Carmen!"

"Zorro!"

"Goemon!"

Each Persona materialized behind their master. Carter's fist brimmed with light. Lightning crackled around the barrel of Captain Kidd's. Carmen's slaves became engulfed in flame. Small tornadoes circled Zorro's twirling sword. Goemon's pipe was coated in a glistening layer of ice.

" **Eat this**!"

The Personas unleashed their wrath all at once, their attacks raining down like a waterfall over rocks. The portraits cried out in agony, each one unable to maintain its form as they all dispersed into ink, falling into a puddle on the ground and pooling together.

The Phantom Thieves dismissed their Personas, each one gasping for air as they watched the pool of black ink dissolve. Shadow Madarame's body took shape again at the center, the fraud groaning in pain as it fell on its hands and knees. Underneath his body was the true Sayuri.

"I-I… I won't…" Madarame's Shadow growled weakly, his deranged yellow eyes glaring up at the thieves. "I won't lose to you vermin!" He cried out, raising a hand and unleashing a small barrage of black energy balls.

"Careful, that's an almighty attack!" shouted Morgana.

"A-Almighty attack?" said Izuku. "What does that mean?"

"There's no time to explain, block it now!"

Izuku and the others quickly raised their guards as the energy orbs descended on them with a small explosion. It managed to push them back and dirtied their clothes a little.

But that was it.

The Thieves waited for more before looking around at one another, seeing that no one was really hurt.

"Well, that was… anticlimactic," Ann scoffed, placing a hand on her hip.

"So much for your last attack, asshole," Ryuji grinned, brushing off his jacket sleeve carelessly. "What was all the fuss about, Mona?"

"I guess I overestimated him," Morgana snickered. "Looks like Madarame's art isn't his only disappointment."

"You're all out of tricks, Madarame," Makoto said, walking up to join the others at the center.

 **(Persona 5 OST: Confession~Piano)**

"N-No… h-how can this be..?" The Palace ruler coughed out as he fell back on his hands, his body shaking as he looked up at the Thieves in mortification. "I-I'm Ichiryusai Madarame… I bring in full crowds every time I open an exhibit…"

"No. You're nothing but a fraud, Madarame," said Yusuke, the artist taking slow steps toward his former mentor. "A fraud who has abused people and art for his own gain."

"B-But it's not my fault!" Madarame cried, grabbing the painting and hugging it close to his chest as he fell on his back, feebly crawling back from Yusuke. "A-All they want is easily recognizable brands! I'm a victim in this, too! Wouldn't you agree?!"

"Makin' up excuses now?" Ryuji scoffed, shaking his head.

"The art world revolves around money, after all!" Madarame continued, his back against a planter as Yusuke loomed over him "You can't get anywhere without money! Yusuke, you understand, don't you?! Being a poor artist is truly miserable! I just didn't want to return to that life!"

"Yusuke didn't hear any more of it, grabbing Madarame by the collar and pulling him close. "A fiend like you has no right to speak of the world of art! You're done here, along with this abominable world!"

"N-No, please! Just… don't kill me!" Madarame pleaded. Yusuke grit his teeth before pushing Madarame back to the ground, the fraud heaving in fear.

"Return to yourself in reality and confess to your crimes.-All of them!" Yusuke demanded.

"Y-You're not going to kill me..?"

Yusuke edged closer to him. "Swear it!"

"A-Alright! Alright!" Sweat trailed down his face in buckets. Yusuke seemed to relax at that, slowly backing away from Madarame. "B-But what about the other one? In the black mask!"

"Black mask? What are you talking about?" Izuku said, raising a brow.

"No way! There's been another intruder besides us this whole time?!" Morgana exclaimed. But before the topic could be explored, the thieves jumped as the Palace began to shake around them.

"There's no time! Hurry!" Ryuji said, looking at Morgana. The cat didn't need to be told twice, skipping ahead of the others before hopping into the air and transforming into a bus.

"W-Wait, he can turn into a car?!" Makoto blanched in disbelief.

"N-Not now, Queen! We have to go!" Izuku suggested, waving for her to get in. "Actually, can you drive?"

"What? Oh, y-yeah!" Makoto dashed to the front driver's side.

Yusuke went and picked up the Treasure before sparing a glance back at Madarame. His eyes narrowed for a moment before he turned around and walked toward the bus.

"Y-Yusuke, wait…" Madarame pleaded, his former student hesitating a moment. "Wh-What do I do..?"

"Put an end to all of this and use your own artwork for once," Yusuke finally said, his gaze cast at Madarame from the side.

"Yusuke, come on!" Ann called out. The young artist turned his back to Madarame again, making his way to the bus.

"W-Wait, please! Yusuke! Yusuke~!" Madarame cried, only to watch as his former student and the bus drive out of the courtyard and head for the entrance. A soft light soon enveloped the Shadow. It returned to its true self, filling the real Madarame with a newfound sense of guilt and disgust with himself.

Thus Madarame's Palace came to an end.

 **To be continued…**

 **Thanks as always goes to my beta reppuzan for working on this, even while busy with his own stuff!**

 **Sorry about that short delay in release, this chapter's ending took a bit to wrap up as well as my beta needing time before he could work on it. But hoo boy, we did it! We've finally crossed Madarame's Palace off the list! Now we can move onto bigger and better things! Though you should all note that the next one or two chapters will be spent with Confidants before the final stage of this arc. We have a lot of people to cover with Izuku, after all, and around roughly ten days left before the final scene of the arc. So look forward to that!**

 **Speaking of Confidants, I do hope you enjoyed those progressions as well! Giving Izuku a prototype capture gun made sense as a gift from Mei. Though I will note that my beta is the one who thought of a proper way to work it into the fight haha. The change to Iwai's confidant might seem small as well, but who knows exactly what this means for the future ;)**

 **With that, I think that's all I have to say. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter, please leave a review, a follow and a favorite if you'd be so kind. Peace!**


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: I own neither My Hero Academia or the Persona series.**

Chapter 28

Yusuke's eyes were glued to the painting in his hands. He hadn't realized the Treasure from the Palace would materialize in the real world like this. He barely paid any mind to the others, inspecting the woman and child with great fixation. "The true Sayuri…"

"You're not gonna get all teary-eyed and say stuff like 'mom', are ya?"

Yusuke pulled his gaze away from the painting, sparing a glance at Ryuji.

"Ow!"

Just in time to see Makoto give him a swift kick in the side. Yusuke couldn't stop a small smirk from playing on his lips, watching as Makoto glared down at Ryuji while he could only pout silently.

"To think this painting would be the cause of his distortion," Yusuke said, his eyes trailing back to the true Sayuri. "The only saving grace is that my mother won't know what transpired."

"Considering that the original painting has been altered back at Madarame's atelier, this is now the last real self portrait of your mother, ironically enough," Morgana said, Yusuke hearing the sympathy in his voice.

"It might have taken some time, but… it's finally back in your hands, Yusuke," Ann said, giving a kind smile.

"I'm thankful for it," Yusuke said, giving his own gentle smile as he stared down at the painting. "However, it's impossible for this painting to be acknowledged by society, now."

"That's a shame… but maybe that's not so bad," Izuku said this time, his expression thoughtful. "After all, your mom made it for you. Not for anyone else."

It was difficult for Yusuke to reconcile to the two sides of Izuku Midoriya. In the Metaverse, he was a fearless leader who commanded unquestioning loyalty. But in the real world, he was soft-spoken and considerate.

"You're right… perhaps having this painting to myself is for the best," Yusuke nodded, looking at the woman. "So, this is my mother… there's no way I would remember her face clearly, but I was right about that rush of emotion I felt when looking upon it."

The others remained silent, giving Yusuke a moment as he cherished the painting. He stroked his fingers across the woman's face, doing his best to recall his mother. But no matter how hard he tried, it seemed to be-

 ***burp***

The quiet peace Yusuke had was rudely interrupted by a belch. Yusuke's eyes trailed back up, looking to see Ann grimacing.

"Stop that!"

"I will smack you again," Makoto threatened, her red eyes narrowing at Ryuji. Yusuke hadn't known the third year student long, but he was quite aware by now just how scary she could be.

"S-Sorry. So, what are you gonna do now?" Ryuji asked, trying to avoid eye contact with Makoto. "We're gonna keep goin' after bad guys like Madarame from here on out.

Yusuke tucked the painting under his arm. "Why do you pursue villains like Madarame?"

"To get back at shitty adults and… society in general, I guess," Ryuji admitted. "And to give courage to people who're sufferin' 'cause of selfish adults."

"Heroes do everything they can to save people, but sometimes it isn't enough," Izuku said this time, his brow knitting seriously. "People sometimes get overlooked. They lose the courage to stand up for themselves because they feel like they've been forgotten or ignored. We want to save people who feel that waythat and give them the strength to move forward."

"Courage, hm? You mean courage to stand up for themselves?" Yusuke asked, holding the tip of his chin in thought. "Will that make them happy?"

"Maybe not right away. If it was that easy we'd all be happy," Makoto shook her head, standing next to their leader. "But giving them that courage is the first step towards letting them seek it for themselves."

"Yeah. Who knows if it'll turn out good for everyone," Ryuji nodded, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "But we won't know until we try."

"In other words, it all depends on the person…" Yusuke muttered, a satisfied smile spreading across his lips. "The same could be said about myself. I also suffered at the hands of a selfish adult. Moreover, if we investigate these Palaces, it may expand my artistic repertoire."

"You really do only think about art, huh? You're impressive," Ryuji smirked at him.

"So, you'll stay on the team with us?" Ann asked with some eagerness.

"Yes, if you'll have me. I won't take part in any inelegant plans, though."

"Don't worry! Makoto and Izuku have got us covered on that front," Ann giggled, causing Ryuji to roll his eyes. "Besides, we have a rule that says we decide on targets unanimously."

"We'd be happy to have you stay on the team, Kitagawa-san. If that's really what you want to do," Izuku said, giving the artist a dazzling smile.

"No complaints on my end. We'll be counting on you, Kitagawa-kun," said Makoto.

"We'll definitely be able to give our calling cards some extra oomph with Yusuke's help." Morgana nodded in agreement.

"I will try and live up to those expectations," Yusuke said, giving a short bow of his head. The smile he had fell for a moment, his eyes falling to the ground. "I… I wasn't able to do much against Madarame's Shadow in the end. I promise to improve."

"Huh? W-What do you mean? You did-"

"No. As his former student, I should have played a much larger role in his defeat. Part of me feels I was unable to contribute as much as I should have," Yusuke cut Izuku off, shaking his head. "But I lacked the strength and wit to make much of a difference in the fight. It was thanks to all of you we succeeded."

"It wasn't all on you, Yusuke. It was all of us, working together," Ann said with concerned eyes.

"I'm aware. And don't worry, I won't dwell on this for long. Instead, I will push myself to improve so I might be able to change the tide of battle if need be." Yusuke declared, surprising the others with his conviction. *****

The others looked at one another, sharing small smiles of understanding before Izuku spoke first. "I understand, Kitagawa-san. I look forward to seeing how you improve!"

"I will do my utmost to stand by those words.".

"Hey, since you're officially a member of the team, we all need to exchange contacts with you!" Ann pointed out.

"That makes sense to me. Let's." Yusuke pulled out his phone along with everyone else, using their infrared sensors exchange their contacts in an instant. "There. I'll be ready for a call whenever you need me."

"I'll be sure to add you to the group chat whenever I get the chance." said Izuku with a nod. There was the enthusiasm that Yusuke also saw in their leader from time to time. He was still a bit of a quandry to Yusuke, even though they already trusted each other with their lives.

 _Perhaps a chance will arise to change that._

"Setting that aside, the thing Madarame said about another intruder is still bugging me…" Morgana sighed, bring Yusuke out of his thoughts.

"The only clue we have was that they wore a black mask. For all we know, there could be more than one person, too." Ann pointed out.

"And with the Palace gone, there's no way for us to find out more." Ryuji sighed, kicking the ground beneath his feet.

"Perhaps I can find something out," Yusuke volunteered, giving a hopeful smile. "If Madarame knows anything, I'll be sure to try and find out about it."

"Are you sure?" Ann said with a sympathetic frown, but Yusuke shook his head.

"It'll be best if I keep an eye on him until his confession, either way." He shook his head. "I'd like to help in any way I can."

"Considering it only happened in the Palace, I doubt Madarame knows about it, but… maybe there's a chance he does know something," Izuku gave a brisk nod of approval. "We'll leave it to you, Kitagawa-san."

"I'll see what I can discern." Yusuke said, smiling at his trust. "Still, it seems I'll be a man of two trades from here on… an artist and a phantom thief. Well, you only live once, after all."

Ryuji and Ann gave him odd looks while Makoto and Izuku laughed a bit sheepishly.

"What is it? Was it something I said?"

* * *

"You have expelled one who was once stained in vanity. You are now one step closer to completing your rehabilitation. This is a delightful thing, indeed."

"Th-Thanks…" Izuku nodded. It had been some time since he was last summoned to the Velvet Room through his dreams rather than walking in of his own volition. So when he woke up in the cell, he was admittedly a bit surprised and somewhat out of it.

"Speak louder when showing gratitude, inmate! You just received praise from our master!" Caroline snapped, putting her knuckles on her hips.

"Th-Thank you very much!" Izuku squeaked, giving a deep bow.

"It is of little importance. What is troubling is the information you learned," Igor said, causing Izuku to look back up at him with wide eyes. "It seems another has found their way into the Metaverse. This is troubling news, indeed."

"You know about that..? Can you tell me who it is?!" Izuku asked.

"That is beyond my knowledge," Igor's denial immediately caused Izuku to deflate. "But what is for certain is your rehabilitation is progressing smoothly. May your devotion to your rehabilitation grow even deeper. I have high hopes for you."

Izuku could only sigh, disappointed he couldn't learn more regarding the 'black masked' intruder. Still, it was undeniable that Igor was putting more trust in him, now.

 ***SMASH***

 **Fool Confidant: RANK FOUR**

* * *

"So… nothin' outta Madarame yet?"

"No… not yet."

Izuku and Ryuji jogged close together, their pace steady. It was the afternoon after classes, with the sun beginning to sink low. Izuku and Ryuji decided to do their usual run together. They were on their way back to the school, finishing their final lap of the day.

"Figures. Kamoshida was… out for a while before finally turnin' up. Still... I wish it would happen quick instead of makin'... us wait." Ryuji complained between breaths.

"There's not much we can… do about it. But with the… Palace gone, I think we can relax," Izuku reassured him, the two slowing down as they entered the courtyard.

"Yeah, you're right. I guess I just… hate sittin' around." Ryuji bent over and heaved for air as the two slowed to a stop. "S-Shit… that aside, I wanna start movin' faster, but… it's no use. I used to train for nationals, but now I totally suck balls…"

"Is it your knee?" Izuku asked.

"Kinda, but… I don't think that's all of it." Ryuji said, straightening out as he wiggled his leg out. "It hurts, but the rest of my body's pretty outta shape. At least compared to back then."

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Izuku and Ryuji's eyes shot up, watching three other students approach them. Each one wore the school track suits, with a darker-skinned boy leading the pack, glaring at Ryuji in irritation.

Ryuji straightened up and took a step back. "Nakaoka… Takeishi…"

"We saw you and your pal from the window. Running, huh?" said Nakaoka. He crossed his arms over his chest. "You weren't thinking of coming back to the track team, were you?"

Ryuji shook his head. "H-Huh? Hell no, I'm just workin' out with my friend."

"Sure…" said Nakaoka. "Either way, this is our training spot, now. It mighta been yours before, but we're gonna need it. You know, as the _former_ track team."

"Yeah. We don't even have a locker room thanks to _someone_ I know." The kid on the left, Takeishi, hissed. Ryuji remained silent, refusing to meet their gaze. Izuku stepped up next to Ryuji and put a hand on his shoulder.

"W-Well, we don't need a lot of space. How about we share it? Or… maybe even work out together?" he offered, putting on a more hopeful smile as he tried to reassure Ryuji.

"Us? Work out with him again? You're crazy," Nakaoka huffed. "Wait a sec, aren't you the transfer student? Why would you hang out with this loser? What'd he do, force a first year like you to work out with him to make himself feel better?"

"Wh-What? N-No, I-"

"You better be careful, dude. He'll hit you the second he gets pissed off," Takeishi sneered. "I heard his dad was the same way. Like father, like-"

" **You're wrong!** " Izuku shouted, silencing everyone present. "Ryuji-senpai is nothing like that! He's been looking out for me since I started going to Shujin! What happened back then… that was because of Kamoshida!"

"Izuku…" Ryuji mumbled next to him.

The three former track members stared at Izuku for a moment, but Nakaoka soon recovered and clicked his tongue.

"You don't know what you're talking about! We all had to put up with the same bullshit with Kamoshida. The beatings, the impossible exercises, all of it. We all put up with it for the track team. Then he had to go and fuck it all up!"

"You guys should have-" Izuku began when a hand gripped his shoulder. Izuku snapped his head back, his face softening when he saw the guilt in Ryuji eyes. Izuku had so much more to say, but the words died in his throat when Ryuji shook his head. He was accepting their insults and hate. And as much as Izuku wanted to argue about how wrong this was, it became difficult to say more with the look his best friend gave him.

"See? He knows the truth. He fucked it up for all of us." Nakaoka snickered. "To think that I thought of you as my teammate… That's all I have to say to you. Let's get out of here."

Ryuji and Izuku stood in silence, watching the three finally leave the courtyard.

Ryuji let out a sigh, scratching the back of his head. "He ain't wrong, you know… I got pretty mad the moment he mentioned my dad. If you hadn't said somethin', I'd probably feel like smackin' him. I haven't changed at all…" Despite his depressed tone, Ryuji turned a thankful smile up at Izuku. "Wasn't expectin' you to blow up like that, to be honest. Hell, you were the one tryin' to calm me down."

"I couldn't just stand there while they talked to you like that." Izuku grinned sheepishly. "Anything involving Kamoshida just pisses me off."

"Guess that's another thing we have in common." Ryuji's smile widened. "Thanks for standin' up for me, man. That… That was really cool of you. I appreciate it."

"Of course. We're partners, right?" Izuku said, giving a small smile.

"Damn straight!" Ryuji laughed, raising his hand up for a high-five. Their hands met with a hearty slap.

 ***SMASH***

 **Chariot Confidant: RANK THREE**

Despite feeling their bond deepen, Izuku still felt disappointed. He could understand why Nakaoka and his friends had been harsh to Ryuji, but it wasn't fair to put all the blame on him.

 _I wish I could have done more… but Ryuji-senpai didn't look like he wanted me too. Still…_

"Hey, Nakaoka! I thought you were gonna kick his ass!"

Izuku was pulled from his thoughts as they glanced over at the edge of the courtyard where the three stood far off.

"Huh? What the hell is your problem?!"

Ryuji and Izuku looked at one another with raised brows.

"Now those guys're just fightin' with each other. I should probably stay outta it," Ryuji sighed before giving a smile. "Wanna grab a beef bowl?"

"Yeah, sounds good."

* * *

"Ah, this is perfect! I think big places like this are just what I need for my training!"

"O-Okay, then. T-Though I'm still not sure what kind of training this is…" Izuku laughed sheepishly, sitting in front of Ann. She had asked to go out after school, mentioning something about 'training her heart' before taking Izuku to Inokashira Park.

"Well, like I said, we're gonna work on the strength of my heart!" Ann declared. She put her hands on her hips as she straightened out. "Morgana said that Personas grow stronger when our hearts do, right? Well, I think I've figured out the perfect way to do it!"

"O-Oh? How's that?" Izuku asked, unsure of what Ann might have cooked up for them.

"I think having a strong heart means not letting anything get under your skin." Ann raised her index finger. "So basically, I want you to say stuff to me, and I'll try and not be fazed by it!"

"O-Oh… I guess that… makes sense…" Izuku's eyes trailed to the side, a bead of sweat trailing down his cheek.

 _I think she's on the right track, but… I doubt this will help._

"Right? Okay, Izuku. Hit me with your best shot!" Ann said, puffing her chest out as she waited for him to start.

"O-Oh, right now?! Um-okay, uh…" Izuku fished for the worst insults he could muster. "Yo-You're um… n-not very smart!"

"Come on, you can do better than that!" Ann said, giving him a soft glare. "Make it hurt!"

"Y-You're a… a d-dumbass!" Izuku visibly cringed after saying the word. "S-Sorry! I-"

"No, that's better! Keep it up!" Ann encouraged.

"Y-You're… not dressed… properly?"

"Okay…"

"A-And you're t-too… pretty?"

"Oh, why thank you-wait, that's not what you're supposed to be doing!" Ann complained, stomping a foot as she caught herself. Izuku threw his arms up in surrender, looking away from Ann in shame. "You're supposed to bring on the insults!"

"I don't think I'm… very good at that…" Izuku admitted with a shy laugh, rubbing the back of his head. "Ryuji-senpai would probably be better for this…"

"Ugh. Knowing him, he'd probably take it too far and piss me off." Ann hugging her arms around her chest. She blinked, holding her chin in thought. "Wait, maybe that's a good thing for this training? Still… every time we hang out, he likes to push my buttons. Oh, I know! You'll basically be the first level of training to beat before moving onto Ryuji at level two!"

"Um…" Izuku finally sighed, his shoulders sagging. "Sorry, Ann-senpai, I'll be honest. I don't think this will help your heart get stronger."

"You don't think so?" Ann bit her bottom lip, giving it some thought. "Well… now that you mention it, maybe it's not. I've got no idea how to strengthen my heart. Guess I'll have to stick to taking Ryuji's offer..."

"You guys have been hanging out when I'm busy, right?"

"Well, yeah, I guess we have. Every now and then we'll go shopping together or grab a bite. He can be a jerk, but… he can be pretty fun, too," Ann smiled, looking at Izuku again. "Plus, he did mention helping me work out at the gym, sometime. Now that we're phantom thieves, I figured I might take him up on it sometime."

"Maybe we can all go together. Ryuji-senpai already works out sometimes after school, so it'd be fun to do it together." Izuku smiled as he said that.

"I'd totally be down for that. It's been a while since I worked out though, so try and go easy on me." Ann giggled a bit. Suddenly, her phone rang. She pulled it from her jean pocket, taking a look at the message displayed.

"Sorry, I just got an email from my agency. The next shoot is… really far," Ann sighed in disappointment before raising a brow. "Huh. Looks like they wanted to make sure I knew exactly where…"

"What do you mean?"

"They sent me a reminder to pay exact attention to when and where the shoot will be. Apparently, a few models have been missing shoots lately. Then, when asked, they said that they heard there was a change in schedule. It sounds like a bunch of shoots have been hectic with all the scrambling they've had to do for substitutes."

"That's not good. Have you had it happen to you yet?" Izuku asked.

"Nope, I haven't missed a single shoot yet!" Ann said with a bit of pride, pushing some hair out of her eyes. "It confuses the staff to see a sub show up. Hopefully that doesn't happen to me. Though, ironically enough, that's how I got my start in modelling."

"Oh? How'd that happen?"

"It was when I was living in Finland with my parents. They were running a big event when they ended up not having enough models."

Izuku raised his brow in surprise. "Your parents work with models?"

"Oh, I haven't told you? My parents are both fashion designers who put on some seriously extravagant shows. They jump from country to country, so I only see them for half a year." Ann explained.

"Oh, I see. I kind of know what that's like," Izuku nodded. "My dad is overseas for a lot of his work, so it was just me and my mom at home most of the time. He probably won't be home for a while, either. I can't imagine what it's like with both parents gone."

"I've gotten used to it now. It was tough when I was younger, as it was me and my live-in caretaker most of the time. And because we moved around, I didn't have a lot of friends…" Ann said, scratching her cheek awkwardly. "Sorry, that got dark fast, huh?" She laughed.

"It's okay. I think that's something we have in common, too…" Izuku laughed awkwardly. He brushed the topic aside with a wave of his hand. "That said, you really like modeling, huh?"

"It can be pretty fun… and honestly, when I'm doing it, I feel a bit like I'm connecting with my parents. It's definitely a fun hobby to have, but… I don't think I'd want to make a living off of it." Ann admitted, her expression becoming somewhat conflicted.

"Why's that?"

"Because that's where Kamoshida first spotted me. Then the rumors started and you know..." Izuku winced at the thought. "Don't worry, it doesn't bother me like it used to. Besides, the phantom thieves are my top priority now! Nobody can be my substitute there, and that's why I want to get stronger!"

Izuku smiled at Ann's reassurance, giving a brisk nod. "I understand. I'll help you get stronger however I can then, Ann-senpai!"

"Thanks! I'll be counting on you, Izuku!" Ann said, pumping her fist at her side. It might have seemed small, but Izuku felt closer to Ann. He couldn't lose to her enthusiasm if he was going to lead everyone.

 ***SMASH***

 **Lovers Confidant: RANK THREE**

"You know… while I have some mixed feelings about my phantom thief suit, there is one thing that kind of bums me out about it," Ann said, leaning on one leg and putting a hand under her chin.

"Oh, what is it? The fact that it's so… um… s-sexy?"

"N-No! W-Well, yes, but not that. I kind of wish it was… bunny themed." Ann explained, her cheeks turning a bit rosy. Izuku's pupils shrank, his face suddenly becoming red. "N-Not in that way! M-More like… I-I don't know, sort of like… you're into Heroes, right?"

"Y-Yeah, a bit…" Izuku's gaze drifted to the side, not wanting to say exactly what extent he was.

"You know that famous female hero lately? Miruko?" Ann asked, causing Izuku to snap his attention back up in alert.

"Oh, the current number 6 Hero?! Of course I know her! She's a rising stars from the last generation, having climbed into the top 10 in just three years!" His eyes sparkled as he described the Pro Hero.

"I think I underestimated how much you were into Heroes," Ann giggled after seeing his enthusiasm. "But yeah, that's her! To this day, she's definitely my favorite hero. When I was younger, I first saw her on TV when she made her debut. Even though she's new, she's so confident and tough. She says whatever's on her mind and acts as the kind of hero she wants to be. She dished out justice her way. I… I wanted to be like her, someday. I guess… I kinda am now, even if it's on the opposite side of the law, huh?"

Izuku's eyes shined at her words, never realizing that even Ann wanted to be a hero as a child. He gave an earnest smile, nodding his head briskly. "Yeah! Even though we're doing things differently, I think you are! We're dealing out justice our way!"

Ann smiled back and giggled. "Yeah, you're right. So let's keep it up! Maybe one day, we'll even get Miruko to acknowledge us, too!"

"Yeah!"

* * *

"It's been so long since I was last here…"

The two had arrived at the gym in t-shirts and sweats. The facilities were tailor-made for mixed martial artists. Cracked punching bags hung from the ceiling on one side of the room and a red mat was spread across the entirety of the floor. A boxing ring sat at the center of the establishment. There were quite a few other people working out already, music echoing across the gym as the familiar scent of sweat wafted through the chilled air.

"I'm surprised, Koto-san. I thought you would train at a dojo to practice your aikido," Izuku admitted, though was no less interested in all of the possible workout equipment available.

"I used to, but I haven't been able to visit in a long time," Makoto said, twisting her upper body to loosen it up. "I haven't worked out here often considering all the studying I've been doing. But since Sis still has our memberships here, I figured it would be a good place to take you for some training."

"Seems like everyone wants to train together now," Izuku laughed, giving Makoto a determined smile. "Okay! What should we work on?"

"It's good to see you're excited," Makoto said, smirking as she placed her hands on her hips. "For today, I think working on your stance and footwork is essential."

"Is it that bad?"

"Not really. You seem natural when you're fighting." Makoto shook her head. "But it does look a bit rough at times. You'll be able to put more force behind your attacks and react faster if we clean it up a little."

Izuku gave a quick nod. "O-Okay then! Let's do it!"

"First, assume your usual fighting stance for me. Just pretend you have the staff in your hand since we don't have anything to emulate it." Izuku nodded, squaring his feet up and imagining that his bo staff was in his grip.

Makoto walked around, inspecting his stance and giving a quiet hum. "Your legs are too wide. Tighten it up just a little bit. You want a strong base to stand on while also being able to move when you need to. If your feet are too wide, you'll easily be knocked off balance." She gave him a quick shove to illustrate this, sending him a few steps backward.

"Okay!" Izuku tried to picture Makoto's old aikido stance, narrowing his legs more and holding the imaginary staff closer to his body.

"Better. Now, do a forward strike."

Izuku did as ordered, doing a quick shuffle forward and jabbing at air.

"You're taking too long to plant your front foot. Do it in one fluid motion. Again!" Makoto demanded, her voice becoming stern.

"Yes!" Izuku repeated the action, trying to pay more mind to the timing of his steps.

"Better! Again!"

"Alright, that was pretty good! Let's take a break." Makoto said, handing Izuku a clean white rag. Both of them were dripping with sweat after practicing their form and technique for close to an hour

Izuku hunched over and panted while wiping the sweat from his brow. "I forgot how… intense you can be while training…"

"I can't cut corners in training you considering dangerous the Metaverse is. Even with our Personas to protect us, we need to be in top shape," Makoto pointed out.

"Yeah, you're right. Thanks for taking the time to train with me, Koto-san. I know I've got a lot of room for improvement," Izuku admitted, flexing his hands in front of his face. "I'm glad to have you as my teacher."

"Teacher might be pushing it. I may have earned my black belt in aikido, I still had a lot to learn before I dropped it," Makoto said. She took a seat at a bench by the lockers. Izuku moved to sit next to her, the brunette handing him a water bottle. "It's a shame, too. Because I didn't have time for full lessons, I've mostly just been working out and practicing what I know."

"Still, you're so good. What's wrong with the level you're at?" Izuku asked, tilting his head curiously.

"Well, simply put, it's just not good enough. At least not good enough for what I want to do." Makoto said, looking up in thought. "After all, I've still never been able to beat Sis."

When they were younger, Makoto often challenged Sae to spars. Despite Makoto's constant training, Sae always stayed one step ahead of her.

"I forgot all about that… Does Sae-oneesan still take kickboxing?"

"That's right. Despite her busy schedule, she still squeezes in a few kickboxing classes here and there. Even when she can't, she trains at a small gym at her office," Makoto explained, releasing a sigh. "I'm a bit ashamed that I've let my own practice fall to the wayside."

"I see… So you're still trying to beat her?"

"Yep. I mean, I haven't really been pursuing that thought lately, but now that I'm back at the gym training with you… it makes me want to try again," Makoto said, a small smile spreading across her lips. "I want my sister to acknowledge me, after all. So even though I'm helping you, you're still helping me, too. So thank you, Midori."

Izuku opened his mouth to respond, but he couldn't think of anything to say. Memories of training side-by-side with Makoto began to play in his head. She was instructing him then just as she was doing now. One thought from back then continues to ring true now.

 _I want Koto-san to acknowledge me, too._

Izuku felt a deeper understanding begin to build between him and Makoto. It seems that, even as old friends, there were still things they could learn about each other.

 ***SMASH***

 **Priestess Confidant: RANK THREE**

Izuku hopped to his feet, startling Makoto.

"Come on! Let's do a few more drills! I want to work on my form some more!" Izuku said, giving a dazzling smile to the older girl. Makoto raised a brow before smiling.

"That's the spirit. Alright, let's go over your defensive stance again!" Makoto said, crossing her arms.

"Right!" Izuku inhaled a breath as he imagined a staff in his grip, positioning his feet the way Makoto told him to. The older girl watched him with a small smile, nodding.

"Perfect. Although… more hands-on training would be nice," Makoto put a hand to her chin in thought. "Maybe… we should try going to my old dojo sometime…"

"Will they let us train there?" Izuku asked, eyes perking up curiously.

"My master doesn't mind having former students coming in and using the dojo for training. So long as we get permission in advance, I think we should be fine," Makoto said with reassurance. "It'll give us a chance to use your staff in a safe environment without having to worry about hitting other people."

"I see… Well, even if we can't, maybe we can go to the park sometime and train there, instead." Izuku suggested.

"That's not a bad idea either. But we'll leave that thought for next time. Back into your defensive stance!"

"Right!"

* * *

"Alright. I want you to make a pot of coffee by yourself."

Izuku blinked owlishly when he heard that, his eyes darting to the assortment of coffee jars sitting on the bar shelves. He had spent a good portion of the night helping Sojiro in the last hours of work at Leblanc. Now that the store was empty, it seemed that Sojiro had plans for him.

"Really? Which one would you prefer?" Izuku said, putting a finger on his chin.

"Try something you like this time. If you can make a cup you enjoy, you'll be able to make a cup others enjoy." Sojiro was tending to a pot of curry in the kitchen. "It doesn't have to be complicated. Give any one of them a try."

Izuku bit his bottom lip, narrowing his eyes at the different labels. Sojiro had shown him that making _good_ coffee was a lot more than picking a grind and throwing it in a filter. Sojiro was laid-back, but he meant business when it came to his brew.

Izuku walked along the rows of bean jars behind the counter and stopped on the Brazilian beans. It was a bittersweet, almost chocolaty variety he had become accustomed to drinking whenever Sojiro offered him a cup that wasn't the house blend. He scooped out some beans and put them into the hand-cranked grinder.

After soaking the filter for five minutes and heating up the water, he poured the grind into the hopper and gently pushed down on it with a bamboo paddle the way Sojiro had done before. He waited exactly 70 seconds before removing the hopper from the flame and giving the coffee ten stirs.

"Okay… I think that's good…" He waited another minute to let the coffee drain into the bulb and poured it into a white cup. With a shaky breath, Izuku took a short sip. It scalded the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed it nonetheless. A small smile spread across his face, pleased with the result.

"You break a sweat there?" Izuku jumped when he heard Sojiro's voice, the coffee shop owner giving a small chuckle as he stepped around the bar and sat in one of the stools. "Relax. I'm not making you serve the coffee to anyone but me. Pour me a cup, would you?"

"Right, one second!" Izuku quickly did as asked, pouring another cup and passing it to Sojiro on a small saucer. The barista took a quick sip, giving a somewhat satisfied hum.

"Brazilian, huh? Good choice. A bit on the dark side but with its own distinct flavor…" Sojiro smacked his lips, giving Izuku a critical gaze. "The flavor's a bit bland, and could use a little less heat on the beans, but… not bad. I'll acknowledge your effort, especially for your first time brewing on your own."

Izuku gave a relieved sigh. "I'll try to make a better cup next time."

"Good. Here, now that I've seen what you can do, I'll go over what's needed to make it just right," said Sojiro, setting the cup down and stepping behind the bar. "There are three factors when it comes to making a good cup of coffee: grind, heat, and time."

"Grind, heat, and time…" Izuku whipped out a small pocket notebook labeled 'Coffee Brewing 101'. Sojiro raised a brow and gave a short chuckle before continuing.

 _Such a strange kid. Not that he's the first I've taken care of._

"For the siphons we have here, we're aiming for a medium-fine grind. We'll go over the specifics later, so just keep those words in mind… or written down." Sojiro watched him dot away at the notebook like his life depended on it.

"Medium-fine, got it." he replied, not looking up form the pages.

"Heh. Good to know you're actually taking what I'm giving you to heart," Sojiro said, leaning a hand on the bar. "The money we make doesn't seem like much considering the effort we put into it. But hey, money is money. If you learn as quickly as you take notes, then you'll be making good coffee in no time. Just remember, I'll have your ass if you serve a bad cup of coffee to customers."

"Right! I'll keep that in mind," Izuku gave a firm nod in understanding.

"Good. Now-"

 ***RING RING***

Sojiro pulled out his phone, his brow crinkling as he turned away to answer it. "Who could this be..? Hello?". Izuku raised his head when he saw the barista snap his head up. "How did you get this number?... Now? Where?... Fine." Sojiro hung up the phone with a tired sigh. "Sorry, something just came up. We'll continue with the lessons later."

"Is everything alright?" Izuku asked.

"Nothing for you to be concerned about. But… thanks for asking." Sojiro said, giving a small smile. "Just wash the dishes for me while I'm gone. Oh, and remember to shut off the gas before closing up shop."

"Okay. Leave it to me," Izuku quickly picked up their used cups, taking them to the sink.

"Heh. You turned out to be a damn diligent worker. It's nice to have you around for moments like this," said Sojiro. "I appreciate your help. Keep it up."

"I will. I hope everything goes well," Izuku said, giving a kind smile. He could see Sojiro beginning to trust him more and more, and their relationship deepened yet again.

 ***SMASH***

 **Hierophant Confidant: RANK THREE**

* * *

"I was wonderin' when you'd be back."

Izuku swallowed a lump in his throat, slowly walking through the front door to Untouchable. Iwai sat behind the counter with his feet kicked up and a magazine in hand, watching him with a sideways glance.

"Y-Yeah. Sorry for taking a while, I had a few things of my own to deal with," Izuku said, pulling on his bag strap as he moved to stand behind the glass next to him. "So… about before-"

"Not now." Was Iwai's immediate answer, tilting his head pointedly toward the customers standing by. Though Izuku did notice that it was a bit quiet for this time of day, even for Iwai's shop.

While Izuku was eager to learn more, he wasn't stupid. Pushing for it now would only make Iwai less likely to talk. So Izuku gave a nod, putting his bag behind the display case. "I'll go check on the inventory."

"Sounds good." Iwai nodded, shifting his attention back to the magazine in hand and flipping the pages. Izuku couldn't stop a sigh, walking past the shop owner and heading into the back room. He spent some time going over the list of goods shipped in and reorganizing the shelves. Iwai hadn't said a word in nearly an hour.

"Alright, we're good. Come back up," Iwai said from the front. Izuku set down duster in hand, walking to the front and seeing Iwai set the front door sign to closed. "Don't need anybody comin' in while we're chattin'... not that I've been super busy."

"What do you mean?" Izuku asked, raising a brow.

"While you were off doin' what your thing, customers have been dryin' up. Apparently, someone's been sayin' my stuff is phoney online. Been scarin' off typical customers." Iwai sighed, moving to the display case and leaning back on it.

"Why would someone do that to you? Does it have to do with… what we did?"

"It might be related. Pretty sure it's Tsuda postin' about my stuff, in fact." Iwai explained, crossing his arms. "He's probably trying to get me desperate. Get me to lose some money so I'd consider whatever offer he's got. After all, once you get a bad rap, it's tough to shake."

Izuku's jaw fell a little, his eyes sympathetic before looking away from Iwai. "I know what you mean…"

"Huh? What would you know about that?" Iwai raised a brow curiously. Izuku only rubbed his arm in response. Thankfully, Iwai spoke again, "Well… I guess a kid like you wouldn't be doin' stuff for a guy like me if that weren't the case… Don't tell me any details. I don't wanna know."

Izuku felt some relief not having to talk about his record. "Okay… but now about what we talked about."

"Right. I did say I'd explain," Iwai sighed, grabbing the lollipop stick hanging out of his mouth. "So that guy I mentioned, Tsuda, used to be a close friend of mine. We used to work together, and now… he's the patriarch of the Hashiba Clan."

"Patriarch? So you were…" Izuku's eyes widened as the truth came out.

"Yup. Me and him were sworn brothers back in my heyday. I broke ties a long time ago. Which ended up bein' convenient, 'cause that was right before yakuza started becomin' a rare commodity once the Hero boom hit." Iwai gave a small smirk as he saw Izuku's face. "If that info is too much for you to handle, tell me now. I'd rather not waste my breath if you've already decided to leave."

Izuku's jaw clenched. Even though Iwai was a former yakuza, Izuku wasn't as unnerved as he thought he'd be

 _He might be a former criminal, but… I'm technically one now._

"I'm not bothered by it." Izuku admitted, meeting Iwai's gaze with stern eyes. "But… that still doesn't explain why you would want to spy on your old friend."

Iwai smirked, giving a nod. "Heh. You've got skeletons of your own, huh? Well then, let me fill you in: I'm sure you're aware that any yakuza still out there are in hidin', right? Well, Tsuda and my old clan've been makin' lots of moves. I may not be involved with my old clan since leavin', but I keep tabs on what they're up to. I need to know if they're gonna try and use me for some dumb plan or not… and to see if they're still survivin'."

Izuku sensed a bit of hesitance in his last words, his eyes softening. "You… care about this Tsuda person, huh?"

"Tch. 'Care' might be a strong word for it," Iwai denied, pulling on the brim of his hat to cover his eyes. "But… we were still sworn brothers. So I guess I get… concerned. Though more about the idea of him involvin' me in his schemes."

"I see… but why spy on your friend after your talk?" Izuku asked.

"Like I said, they've been makin' a lot of moves lately. I wanted to know just how much. As it turns out… they made a really big one without me realizing." Iwai sighed, pulling the lollipop out of his mouth. "Goin' under the Eight Precepts is a big deal… especially with their batshit crazy leader."

Izuku's brow knitted. "W-Who are the Eight Precepts?"

"Nothin' for you to be concerned about. The less you know about them, the better," Iwai huffed, pushing off the glass. "But now you know what's goin' on. I need your help to keep an eye on Tsuda and his people when they try anything. Plus the usual stuff. Now that you know everything, are you still willin' to be a part of this?"

Izuku held his chin in thought, assessing everything that Iwai had told him. It was all rather sketchy, of course, but with the trouble he has faced in the Metaverse, Izuku found that this work wasn't as concerning for him as it should have been. "And… you promise that you're trying not to get involved with them?"

"Yep. That's the main reason I got you workin' for me, kid. I need whatever intel I can get in case somebody comes knockin'. So long as I'm ready, I won't need to get into bed with those guys at all. That life… it's a long way behind me." Iwai declared, crossing his arms. "So? You in or you out?"

Izuku was silent for a moment, closing his eyes before giving a firm nod. "If that's the truth… I'll keep working for you, then. We had a deal, after all."

"Heh. Good. I'm expectin' big things, Mumbles." Izuku visibly stumbled at the nickname, having not heard him use it in some time. "And as a little bonus, I'll expand a bit of the inventory available on my special menu and give you a bit of a discount. Consider it a thanks for helpin' me out with that first job."

"That'd be great." Izuku said, feeling a deeper understanding build between him and Iwai.

 ***SMASH***

 **Hanged Man Confidant: RANK THREE**

Before the two could continue, the front door bell rang, the two snapping their heads up in alarm. They immediately relaxed when they saw it was Kaoru standing there, poking his head in hesitantly.

"Hey, Dad…"

"Oh, Kaoru, it's you. What'd I tell you about comin' by here after school?" Iwai said, his voice stern as he addressed him.

"I-I know, I was just-"

"Go and head home, already. You've got entrance exams to focus on, don't you?"

Kaoru's eyes fell to the ground meekly. "W-Well, yeah, but I just-"

"Look, I've got a part-time worker now. You don't gotta worry about how I run things," Iwai said, motioning to Izuku, who remained silent. It wasn't his place to butt into this.

Kaoru's gaze shifted to Izuku, his eyes widening in surprise. "Wait, you're that guy who…"

"H-Hey there," Izuku said with a hesitant wave and smile.

"Yeah, it's him. Forget that, though. You said your thanks before, so head home and get to studyin', alright? I'll be back later." Iwai quickly said, causing his son to frown.

"Okay... I'll see you later, then." Kaoru looked at Izuku and smiled. "It was good to see you again. Please… take care of my dad."

" I will," Izuku nodded. With that, Kaoru slowly took his leave. Iwai finally relaxed, releasing a heavy sigh and shaking his head.

"I'm happy he's worried about me, but he's gotta worry about his own problems, right now…" Iwai mumbled, though Izuku could tell it was more of a thought said aloud rather than directed his way.

"I'm… guessing he doesn't know?" Izuku asked.

"About me bein' ex-yakuza? No, he doesn't. And it's stayin' that way, got it? I don't want him gettin' involved in any of this." Iwai said, furrowing his brow.

Izuku quickly nodded. "I understand. I won't say anything."

"Good. With that, you can head home for the day. Drop by again when you want some work or tools. I'll be sure to text you if I need help with somethin', too."

* * *

"Thanks for taking the time to meet us, Midoriya!" Mishima said, he and Shiho sitting across from Izuku. The three sat inside the comfortable diner in Shibuya, the two having invited him there for a 'business' meeting.

"Sorry for not meeting you guys sooner. A lot's been happening in the past couple of weeks."

"Don't sweat it. We know that you guys are doing important work. All while trying to maintain a regular school life, too," Shiho smiled. "By the way, Mishima-kun told me you guys even had to meet with someone in person. How did that go?"

"It went well. He gave us all the info we needed," Izuku said, his brow furrowing seriously. "For now I'll keep quiet on what, but I think you'll be seeing results from our latest 'job' soon."

"Man, you guys aren't letting up, huh? Just what I'd expect from the Phan-" Shiho nudged him gently, her eyes glazing across the restaurant still packed with people. "Ehem, I mean… just what I'd expect from you guys. Sorry."

"It's okay. Just look forward to it," Izuku smiled. "So how has the site been going?"

"It's going great! Honestly, it's a lot more work than I thought it'd be, but Shiho has helped lighten the load for me," Mishima explained, sending a smile Shiho's way.

"It took a little time, but… while I'm out of school, I was able to learn everything I needed to manage it just right." she explained, her expression brightening at the thought. "In fact, it's nice to have something to do while at home. Especially if it means helping the heroes who saved me."

"Shiho helps a lot by wading through the requests and managing the forums while I handle the PR stuff. Dividing up the work has really saved me from doing one too many all-nighters working on it," Mishima chuckled.

"I'm happy to hear that. You guys are being a huge help," said Izuku, leaning forward on his elbows.

"Of course! We want you guys to be as popular as possible!" Mishima grinned in excitement. "The more we get your name out there, the more people will believe in you and ask for help! Just leave it to me and Shiho! We'll get you guys the attention you deserve."

"Still, weeding out trolls on the Phan-site can be pretty tiring. Some people like going on there just to poke fun at people for supporting the idea." Shiho sighed, rubbing her neck. "What's wrong with wanting to believe in a group that helps people that can't be heard by others? It makes me _sick_ …"

Her eyes became distant and her gaze fell to the ground. Izuku and Mishima's smiles vanished, the two sparing a silent exchange before looking back at Shiho.

 _It's still bothering her..._

Izuku looked to the side in thought for a moment before straightening out. He put on a confidant smile and dared to reach out and gently touch Shiho's hand.

"It's okay. People can say what they want. We're helping people, and we'll keep helping people. As we keep going and take down more villains, we'll show them that we're the real deal." Izuku said, his voice firm. Her eyes met his, her expression brightening.

"You're right. Thanks. Sorry if I…" Shiho rubbed her neck, looking around at the two shyly.

"Don't worry about it. We've just gotta do our part in things and make sure trolls like those don't control the conversation, right? We do our part and they'll do theirs," said Mishima, giving her shoulder a light bump.

Shiho gave a reaffirming nod. "Yeah… right."

"I'll leave our publicity in both of your hands. Thank you, again," Izuku said, giving them a gentle smile. He was happy to finally have this talk with Mishima and Shiho. It helped him see where she was at after everything that happened. And he trusted that they would do the Phantom Thieves justice online.

 ***SMASH***

 **Moon Confidants: RANK THREE**

Now that the air was cleared, another thought came to Izuku. "By the way, you guys had a couple requests for us to take, right?"

"Oh, yes, let me get them for you," Shiho said, digging into her pocket and fishing her phone out.

"You can take requests right now?" Mishima asked with a bit of awe.

"Yeah. We shouldn't keep people who need help waiting, after all. We won't be able to do all of them, at least not as quickly. But some requests should be easier than others," Izuku explained for him.

"You're still helping little guy even when you're dealing with the big problems. It shows how genuine you all are," Shiho remarked, scrolling down on her screen.

"And the more good press you get from it, the better," Mishima agreed with a chuckle.

"Okay, so this one's close to home. A student at Shujin named Daisuke Takanashi. He's been taking his bullying too far and hurting a lot of students in his class." Shiho read aloud.

"Ah, yeah, I've heard about that one. I felt bad for the students being hurt, but this wasn't something I could stop personally." Mishima sighed, looking at Izuku with pleading eyes "Sorry if I jumped the gun, but I said you guys would take care of it on the Phan-site. Is that okay?"

"It's fine. We'll be sure to handle it."

"Still, we should try and give our heroes more of a heads up rather than speak on their behalf, Mishima-kun." Shiho said, giving him a somewhat scolding glance.

"Y-Yeah, sorry about that. I'll be sure to do that next time… " Mishima laughed sheepishly. "Anyway, we should get going. I wanna get home and check up on the Phan-site."

"Same. You guys keep doing your job, and we'll keep doing ours," Shiho said with a smile, standing from her seat and letting herself and Mishima out of the booth.

"Okay! I'll let you know when we've handled things with Takanashi!"

"We're looking forward to it!" Mishima gave a thumbs up, he and Shiho turning to take their leave. Izuku watched them, feeling a boost to his spirits. Seeing Shiho walk around, smiling and active after everything she had been through, made all of their hard work up to this point worth it.

 _And we're just getting started._

 **To be continued...**

 **Thanks as always goes to my beta reppuzan for his diligence!**

 **Alright, that's another chapter knocked out! Happy to finally have that one and the aftermath of the battle settled. That part ended up being much easier to get through as opposed to Kamoshida's, but a lot of things were made easier after his defeat. Now, as I said before, this chapter and the next are all about the confidants. Though that Mementos request will be added to the mix for next chapter as well.**

 **I just wanted to say, in regards to the scene in which Yusuke speaks about his failure to do much during the Madarame fight, that's more my words than his. After the climactic battle, a few readers pointed out some of its failings, such as its far too involved dialogue and the fact that Yusuke's role in the fight was rather minimal. It was more personal for him than anyone else, but his own part in the fight was overlooked in favor of a more tactical approach by Izuku. I'll be the first to admit that it wasn't the best way to approach the fight, looking back on it. And in the future, especially with the Palace Ruler fights, I hope to do better and really sell the personal conflicts of those involved deeply with it. It wasn't my best writing, but it is still a learning experience I will try to improve upon.**

 **Anyways, with that out of the way, I do have one more announcement… I'm going to be taking a break next month. I've been hitting the writing hard lately, updating a story per week, and think now's a good time to recharge my batteries. Don't get me wrong, I'm not running out of steam and haven't had too many problems when it comes to updating each of my stories. But I don't want to push things and overload myself. I think now's a good time to try and take a moment to relax and come back stronger and ready to write.**

 **To those who are also readers of a few of my other monthly updated stories, don't worry. I'm planning to update A Devil's Diamond, The Gunslinger and The Shield's Dragon before the month is out. So look forward to that!**

 **Anyways, with that all done, I think I'll call it here. By the way, be sure to check out the TVTropes page for the story and maybe even add to the content! It's really fun to read through what people put! Anyways, self-promotion aside, I do wish you all a good day. Please be sure to leave a review, a follow and a favorite if you'd be so kind :)**


	29. Chapter 29

**Disclaimer: I own neither My Hero Academia or the Persona series**

Chapter 29

Yusuke pushed the door open to Madarame's room, a platter of tea and vegetables in his other arm. He lingered there for a moment, the room only lit by the hallway light. Peering inside, he saw his 'master' lying in bed, curled up under a blanket. He could see him shiver under the covers, whispering incoherent babble.

Yusuke hated this. Living under the same roof as Madarame. Watching over the man who allowed his mother to die and ruined the lives of others for personal gain. Only a few more days, he hoped, before Madarame would finally confess.

Yusuke cleared his throat. "Sensei. I've brought you tea and something to eat."

"I-I don't want it... "

Yusuke let out a sigh, trudging over to the nightstand by Madarame's bed. "You'll waste away if you don't eat, Sensei. Come, get up."

 _You're not allowed to starve until you've admitted to your crimes._

Madarame retreated further into the blankets. Yusuke fought the urge to scowl at the shell of a man before him. He maintained his plastic smile and gently gripped Madarame's shoulder.

"Come now, Sensei. You need to eat something." Yusuke tugged him forward, Madarame resisted for a moment, but sat enough, the covers still wrapped tightly around his shuddering form. Yusuke pulled the entire nightstand over so that his food and beverage were sitting directly in front of him. "I will not leave until you've taken at least a bite and a sip from your meal, Sensei. Please."

He lorded over Madarame, waiting expectantly for him to begin. It took several moments for his former teacher to finally move.

"If… If it will make you happy…"

Yusuke raised a brow. He wouldn't let this soften his heart. "Yes. Now please, eat."

Madarame gingerly reached for the plate in front of him, picking up his chopsticks and putting a small chunk of steamed lettuce in his mouth. He then reached for the tea, his hands trembling as he slowly brought it to his lips.

"Good. I'll be back later to take your dishes away. Make sure you finish it all." Yusuke said, giving a curt nod before turning around to leave.

"Yusuke…"

His lips turning into a thin line before he turned back to Madarame. "Yes?"

"I… I'm sorry… I'm so s-sorry…" Madarame's bottom lip tucked in as he held back his weeping.

Yusuke's nails dug into his palm as he battled the urge to pity the man he once called father. Whatever internal conflict raged within Madarame was long overdue. Still, seeing him in such a pathetic state couldn't help but appeal to Yusuke's better nature.

But that pity was soon erased when he thought of the Sayuri. The **real** Sayuri. Before it was defiled by Madarame.

"Make sure that you finish your food… Sensei." With that, Yusuke turned away and shut the door behind him.

* * *

Izuku wasn't normally welcomed by Justine into the Velvet Room. More often than not, Caroline was there to usher him in with a swift kick to the rear. But this time, her sister was the one waiting by the entrance. It was a nice change of pace from the physical abuse he was subject to on a regular basis. She did stop him with a warning before letting him inside.

" _Be quiet as you enter, inmate. Caroline is practicing something important for your arrival."_

He wasn't sure what that meant, but decided against doing differently. After all, he wouldn't be surprised if Caroline snapped at him for interrupting her duties.

So, Izuku was silent as he woke up in his striped jumpsuit, standing from his bench without a word as he peered through the bars.

"Okay, okay… the next time I see him, I'll say… 'stupid inmate! You think you're cool?!' or something…" He heard Caroline's voice, blinking as he easily guessed she was referring to one of their 'talks'.

 _What is she… practicing…_

Izuku puckered his lips, leaning forward but making sure not to touch the bars. Just off to his left, he could see the dual bun haired warden facing the other way, tapping her electric baton on her shoulder.

"No, no, no… something meaner… I want him to know who's in charge! Something like 'Don't get cocky over little things! You've got a long way to go!'. Yeah… yeah..."

 _Is she… practicing being mean to me..?_ His brow twitched at the implications. _I don't even think Kacchan tries to come up with insults for me…_

"But… maybe that's too mean… I mean, we are supposed to praise him for progress…"

Izuku jaw fell when he heard the slightest bit of vulnerability in her voice.

"B-But I don't want the inmate to think I'm going soft on him! But still… maybe hold back a bit more..?" Her eye drifted to the floor while her toe tapped the ground

 _So… does she just act tough? Or…_

"Caroline."

Izuku and Caroline jumped, their heads snapping around to look at Justine. The stoic twin had a rare smirk on her face. Her molten gold eye hid no amount of amusement.

"W-What?! Y-You scared me!" Caroline sputtered. "For a second, I thought the inmate… had… come…" Her voice trailed off, her pupil dilating as she saw Izuku behind the bars.

"I was only informing you that the inmate had come in." Justine said as casually as possible.

"H-Hi…" Izuku uttered without thinking, his lips pursed as he struggled to look casual in any sort of way.

Caroline stared back silently for a moment, her face slowly beginning to turn a bright shade of red before raising her baton and pointing at him with it. "H-How long have you been there?!"

"N-Not long!" Izuku answered, raising his hands in surrender.

"How long is 'not long'?!"

"I don't know!"

"What did you see?!"

"Nothing! I saw nothing!"

"You better not be lying, inmate!"

"I-"

"Ahem."

Once again, their heads snapped over to Justine, who wore a small, smug grin of satisfaction "I believe the inmate came here with a purpose, Caroline. Perhaps it would be better for us to move on?"

Her sister's one good eyelid twitched, her face still fuming from embarrassment. She turned her gaze back to Izuku and shoved her finger in his face. "You better be careful, _inmate_."

Izuku swallowed a lump in his throat. He watched them return to their usual positions outside his cell, Justine looked as pleased as ever while Caroline refused to look him in the eye. Her hands were busy bending her baton until it creaked and groaned in her grasp.

"How can we **help** you today, inmate?" Caroline ground out, her teeth knit tightly together.

"Um… I-I could always come back later…"

She slammed the bars hard enough to rattle them. "You're not going anywhere until you do something, inmate!"

"Okay!" He yelped, raising his arms to shield his face in fear of her wrath.

"I imagine this is about the task that we gave you?" Justine asked, seemingly back on task. "We are aware that you finished making the Persona, but you were quick to leave before we could discuss its completion."

Izuku quickly remembered that had, indeed, been the reason he came to the Velvet Room. "Yes. I-I just wanted to make it official."

"Hmph. It was about time," Caroline huffed, crossing her arms over her chest before looking away."

"Yes. Still, it is commendable that you were able to think of your task while also focusing on your target," said Justine. "Your commitment to your rehabilitation is evident."

She looked at Caroline expectantly, the more boisterous of the two trying to keep from meeting her eye. As the silence continued, she finally let out a groan before looking back at Izuku. "I **guess** it shows that you're willing to do some work. There, happy?!"

"Th-Thank you..?"

"You completed the task with surprising ease. Though your past diligence would show you're quite adept when it comes to combining Personas when you wish to." Justine continued, ignoring her sister.

"Yeah. I guess you're not a _complete_ waste of our time…" Caroline mumbled, looking to the side again. "Now hurry up and give him the next task on the list, Justine…"

"Of course," her sister replied, flipping the pages back on her clipboard. "I have your next task listed here. So that you know, these tasks will increase in difficulty. Are you prepared to fulfill them?"

"I'll… I'll do my best." Izuku answered, brushing aside his awkwardness for a moment to speak with confidence. "If it'll help me grow, I'll do it."

"How admirable." Justine gave him a gentle smile in return. Caroline sighed, straightening back out to look at Izuku. Despite Justine's little prank, he continued to feel thankful for their help. Things might have been a bit rocky, but the twins were nonetheless continuing to build up their relationship as well as he was.

 ***SMASH***

 **Strength Confidant: RANK TWO**

"We would once again like to bestow a new privilege upon you. But it is extremely powerful, and wish for you to complete a task for us before doing so." Justine said.

"Yeah! Don't think we're gonna make this easy for you, inmate!" Caroline snickered.

He pumped his fist in front of him. "Right, of course. I'll complete it soon!"

"Don't try and act cool, inmate!"

Izuku stared at her for a moment before his eyes trailed to the side. "R-Right…"

Caroline seemed to catch on, her cheeks dusting red before pointing her baton forward. "I-If that's all you had to do, then get out already!"

"O-Okay!"

"Oh, before you go. Bring us a Matador with Magaru when you get the chance."

"R-Right!"

Izuku was hurled back to reality, blinking as he found himself standing in Mementos' entrance with the others close by.

"So you really do just begin to stand off alone and zone out when you enter that other world…" Makoto muttered, holding her chin in thought.

Ryuji laughed. "We told you! It's pretty funny but kinda weird, right?"

Ann giggled. "I'm glad he explained it. I kept thinking he fell asleep in place or something."

"I thought he was having a moment of clarity before the heists. Though, I guess in a way, he was." Morgana said, tilting his head to the side.

"Your face takes on this enchanting idleness when you go into that other world. Next time you go into this 'Velvet Room', please inform me first. I wish to draw you in that state," Yusuke said, framing Izuku between the imaginary lens of his fingers.

"G-Guys…" Izuku laughed awkwardly while tugging at the collar of his jacket. "W-We should head for the target, now."

"Good point. Alright, everyone. I'll go transform!" said Morgana, skipping ahead of the others. Everyone followed suit, with Izuku trailing behind.

 _I wasn't really expecting that kind of visit… but at least I'm making progress._

Izuku stepped forward before coming to an abrupt halt again.

 _Wait… I have a Matador with Magaru…_ He felt sweat trail down his face. _But… maybe I should wait a bit before going back… yeah..._

* * *

"It's not my fault! They didn't stand up for themselves!"

Izuku hopped over a ball of ice hurled his way. Today's mission was to subdue the Shadow of Daisuke Takanashi. Apparently, Takanashi was a bully at their school who forced kids to fork over money by threatening to beat them senseless. A rather typical bully, but one that Izuku and the others refused to let stand. They had come together as a team, expecting the worst. Instead, his Shadow took the shape of a simple Jack Frost.

A strong Shadow. Perhaps in the first Palace, at least. But the team was more than equipped to deal with a single, slightly stronger Jack Frost.

"Using force to keep people from complainin' ain't givin' them much of a choice!" Ryuji huffed.

"Yeah! And now you're about to know how it feels! Dance, Carmen!" Ann shouted. Her Persona whipped the air to unleash a barrage of fireballs upon the Shadow.

"GRAAAGH~!" It cried, the blaze causing serious damage. It didn't have the effect it would have on a normal Jack Frost, but it was certainly strong enough to stagger it.

"I'll take it from here!" Ryuji called out, running ahead of the group before getting down in a sprinter's position. Electricity crackled around his legs, but sparks fizzled around his damaged knee.

"Wait, Skull! What are you doing?!" Izuku asked.

"This guy's a piece of cake, don't sweat it!" Ryuji flashed a wild grin and tightly gripped his new weapon, a bat covered in nails and barbed wire, with his right hand. "I've been wantin' to try out this move I thought of anyway…"

"Don't do something stupid, Skull!" Ann called out in worry, moving to his side to try and stop him. But Ryuji took off, leaving the ground crackling with lightning in his wake. The distance between him and the Shadow vanished in an instant. The next thing anyone heard was the crack of the bat across the Shadow's head. The Shadow fdid a complete flip in the air like an old comic strip character and landed flat on its belly as Ryuji flew past it. That's when the burning pain in Ryuji's knee became too much to bear, and he tumbled along the ground until he crashed into the closest wall.

"Skull!" Ann was the first to move, running past the Shadow that laid there, completely defeated. She rushed to his side, kneeling next to him. "I told you not to do something stupid! What the hell was that?!"

"J-Just tryin' out a super move like a real Hero. Heh…" Ryuji grinned despite his scuffs, slowly sitting up and hugging his knee. "Looks like this knee ain't quite ready for that, yet."

"No kidding. Idiot." Ann sighed, raising her hand and casting a Dia on him. The pain and bruising soon vanished as the light washed over him. "Next time, I'll let you limp back."

"Come on, don't be like that. But… thanks for healin' me up."

"Is Skull okay?" Izuku asked, running over while Makoto, Morgana and Yusuke had their guns trained on the now human-shaped Shadow of Takanashi.

"I'm cool, dude. Thanks to Panther," Ryuji answered, pushing up to his feet. "Let's go make this guy change."

Izuku watched him carefully for a moment before nodding his head, walking back with the three and surrounding Shadow Takanashi.

"C-Come on! You can't blame me for all of this! I-I was just doing what I was told!" Takanashi whined with wide, terrified eyes. "Y-You've gotta help me! I-I was gonna get hurt if I didn't take people's money!"

"Someone else is coercing you, too?" Makoto asked. She and the others lowered their guns now that it was powerless.

"Y-Yes! I didn't want to get hurt anymore! I can't take it, I can't!" Takanashi cried, hunching over and hugging his right arm.

"So there's an even bigger bully making him do the dirty work, huh?" Ann said, looking at the others in thought.

"Hey! Weren't you the one who just said that it's everyone else's fault for not standin' up for themselves?!" Ryuji barked, causing the Shadow to wince.

"I-I mean… er…"

"It's fine. Don't worry." Izuku said, walking up to the Shadow. "If you're being harassed too, we'll help you. But you have to make it up with those you've hurt, too."

"Y-You mean it?! Oh-thank you! Thank you!" Takanashi said, suddenly prostrating himself before them.

"A real fickle guy we've got here, huh?" Morgana said, tilting his head to the side in minor disbelief.

"Please help me… you promised, right?" Takanashi's Shadow said as it faded into light.

"Well don't forget your side of things too!" Ryuji reminded him, watching as the Shadow disappeared completely. A 'treasure' appeared before them, Izuku swiped it out of the air, revealing a bog-standard protein bar.

"What a 'treasure' that turned out to be," said Makoto while leaning over his shoulder to look at it.

"I was certainly expecting a more difficult foe when you told me we would be dealing with a person's Shadow," Yusuke suddenly said, crossing his arms and leaning to one side. "He took a bit of damage, but the six of us handled it rather easily."

"And I got to pull out my sick move to finish him off!" Ryuji pumped his fist, grinning in triumph. That grin soon fell when Ann slapped him on the back of the head. "H-Hey!"

"That was reckless! Don't do something like that again!" Ann snapped, placing her hands on her hips. "You said yourself that your knee can't take it!"

Ryuji waved her off. "Come on, I wouldn't use it on some big guy. He was cake!"

Makoto crossed her arms. "It was still a dangerous move, Skull. Had you missed or had he reacted somehow, you might have been in huge trouble."

"Honestly, I thought the attack was good," said Izuku, surprising the others until he continued, "But you really have to warn us first when you do something like that. That way we're prepared to help if you need us to."

"Agh…" Ryuji chewed on the inside of his cheek, finding it difficult to argue with Izuku.

"You might have a hard head, but we don't want to have to worry about you getting caught just because you wanted to look cool, Skull," Morgana huffed.

"A-Alright, I get it! I get it… Sorry," Ryuji breathed out, scratching the top of his head. Izuku gave a small smile, going forward and putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't be discouraged. Even though I would have liked a warning, you did deal the final hit. And your move was really cool, if reckless with your knee like that." Izuku said, trying to raise his spirits. "In fact, it reminded me of something I wanted to talk to everyone about, anyway."

"Hm? Did we do something wrong?" Yusuke asked, holding his left elbow in his right hand.

"No, nothing like that. But ever since we took down the Palace, I've been wondering about how we could keep improving before we get our next target. Then I remembered we have Mementos to work with," Izuku explained, turning to face the rest of the team. "We can tackle the Shadows roaming here and take down smaller targets. It really is a perfect place for us to strengthen as a team."

"What's that have to do with Skull's blockhead move, though?" Morgana asked, causing the faux blond to flinch.

"Well, I think that on top of improving our overall fighting ability, we could also work on our teamwork." Izuku explained, crossing his arms over his chest. "If we combine our Personas and some of our Quirks, though mostly Skull and Queen's, we can make for group attacks in pairs or more."

"I see. Coordinated attacks that utilize our skills to the fullest," said Yusuke. A small smirk played on his lips. "What an interesting idea."

"Aw, dude! That's totally like what Heroes do! They always got some sorta special move!" Ryuji grinned like an idiot.

"Some people are really compatible together as a combo, so I think it makes a lot of sense. Not bad, Hero," Morgana smiled at their leader. He turned to Ann, puffing his chest out. "I can't wait to see what kind of combo we make together, Panther."

"Of course that's **your** first thought," Ryuji rolled his eyes.

"What did you say to me?!"

"Alright, alright. Enough," Makoto stepped between them. "But I agree. Spending time in Mementos training to improve our teamwork and Quirks is a good idea. I haven't been able to use mine since my first visit to the Palace, so this is a great opportunity."

"I think that if I keep workin' on mine, maybe my knee will start to get used to it," Ryuji said, wiggling his hurt leg around a bit. "I'm startin' to run normally just fine, but usin' my Quirk still needs work."

"Skull, you can't just muscle through your Quirk's damage like that. You could make it worse instead of making it better." Ann shook her head. "We need you in one piece, Quirk or no Quirk."

"I-I know, it's just…" Ryuji sighed, looking down at his leg with a somber look. "I feel like I could be so damn useful if this thing worked right, you know?"

"The damage done to it. Was it truly that terrible?" Yusuke asked curiously.

"It didn't heal right after it happened. Now it's just… busted for good, I think." Ryuji sighed, scratching the top of his head. Izuku felt a frown cross his lips, sharing a small look with Ann. The twin tailed blonde looked just as sympathetic, but neither knew what to say.

Ryuji looked up at the others, seeing their quiet expressions before putting on a grin. "Ah, it ain't nothin'. I still got my Persona and all, right? Not like our leader has a Quirk, anyway," he said, slapping Izuku on the shoulder before swinging his arm in a circle. "Well, I'm up to keep goin' around! How 'bout you guys? Might as well get a good workout in with our Personas, right?"

Izuku smiled as Ryuji tried to bring their spirits back up, giving a nod of agreement before looking around at the team. "Come on. We can fight a few more Shadows, right? We can discuss team strategies while we drive."

"Sounds good to me! Let's roll!" Morgana said, skipping ahead of the others before transforming into a van.

"I'm still getting used to that." Makoto giggled sheepishly, jogging up to the front to drive. Izuku let the others move ahead of him, whipping out a notebook as he wrote down everything he knew about Ryuji's Quirk..

 _I wish there was something we could do for him. Medical braces would just tear from the force of his Quirk and Dia spells don't do anything either. If only we had some Hero-grade material..._ Izuku thought, touching the tip of his chin with his pencil. That's when it dawned on him. _Oh! That's right! Hatsume-san!_

"What are you doing, Hero? Come on!" The cat bus called out, causing him to jump.

"S-Sorry! Coming!"

* * *

"To think I was able to get you back for another test so soon! I'm so excited~!"

"Y-Yeah… me too…" Izuku put on a weak smile as he faced the bubbly inventor. He made sure to contact Mei soon after he left Mementos. To his delight and dread, Mei was able to secure the space for his visit the very next day. He assumed that meant she worked well into the night, as it was close to eight when he had texted.

"Alright! I'm going to figure out which baby I would like to test out today!" She gave him a thumbs up before rushing off to her workbench. It was littered with gadgets and gizmos that she sifted through like a pile of dirty laundry. But even that paled in comparison to the ever-growing mountain of scraps and broken prototypes in the corner.

"U-Um, Hatsume-san, before we get to that…" Izuku started, causing her to pause in her search to look back at him. "Can we discuss what I want first?"

"Ah, right! Of course! Quid pro quo!" Mei nodded fervently, turning back to her pile and continuing her search. "Tell me what you want while I look for a baby!"

"Okay then…" Izuku sighed, realizing he might not be able to delay her test as long as he would have liked. "I was… wondering if you can make something like a… a knee brace."

"A knee brace? You have a problem with your legs?" She asked, tossing some gadget overhead. Izuku had to side step it at the last second wincing as it hit the ground with a hard clank.

"I-It's not for me. It's for a friend…"

Mei froze, her head whipping around to look at Izuku again. "A friend? Are you trying to _sell_ my babies?"

Izuku felt as though he was staring down the barrel of a sniper rifle. "N-No! Not at all! M-My friend j-just has a really bad knee, a-and it hurts how his Quirk works!"

"Is that right?!" Mei instantly closed the gap between them, their faces nearly touched as she examined every bead of sweat that rolled down his face. "Then tell me, what's their name?!"

"R-Ryuji Sakamoto!"

"What year are they in?!"

"S-Second year!"

"What school?!"

"S-Shujin Academy!"

Mei blinked for a moment and took a step back. "That's not a Hero School. At least not one I've heard of."

"Y-Yeah, he goes to a different school than me…" Izuku breathed out in relief, glad that she gave him space again. "It's for general academics."

"If that's the case, then why doesn't he just get a medical brace?"

"The problem with his knee relates to his Quirk. He can run regularly now, but his Quirk used to let him run at super speed. After an incident, he can't use it without hurting himself."

Her eyes narrowed again, but this time there was a glimmer of curiosity instead of malice. "If he doesn't go to a Hero School, why does he want to fix it? If his knee functions fine without using it, there should be no problem."

"Yeah, but… his Quirk is still a part of him," Izuku explained, his lips forming into a frown. Despite its more practical use when facing Shadows, Izuku had thought past that. About how Ryuji felt. He saw him try to use his Quirk even outside of the Metaverse, just to test if he could. "Ever since the… the incident, his knee and Quirk haven't been the same. And I can tell it bothers him. I want to help him, and… I think you're the only one who can."

Mei watched Izuku for a long moment, her expression neutral and intent as she stared at the green haired teen. Izuku might have lost hope, but she soon placated that feeling. "Alright. I'll do it."

Izuku's face lit up, a smile spreading across his face. "R-Really?!"

"Yup! I'll need his measurements before I can start, but you're going to have to prove you mean it!" Mei suddenly turned back to her work bench, digging through her tools. "Ah, here it is~!"

She pulled out what looked like a pair of gloves, causing Izuku to raise a brow in wonder. She walked back over to Izuku, holding them out to the green haired teen. "Here! Put these on!"

"Okay…" Izuku slipped them on, both gloves surprisingly comfortable. Across the palm and the fingertips were metallic pads of some sort, and on the back of it a dial with an arrow pointed at a bar labeled 'weak' to 'strong'.

"I proudly present to you one of my older babies, the Magnet Mitts!" Mei said, grinning ear to ear as she took his hands, completely ignoring the heat rising on Izuku's face from the close contact. "I made these babies a while ago, but never got a proper test done with them! They're used to scale any building with metallic infrastructure. they'll prove invaluable during rescue operations!"

"W-Wow, that's amazing!".

"Sure! If you have good upper body strength!" Mei said, causing Izuku to blink. "The shoes and knee pads that came with them blew up after a mishap, so I tossed those aside to look at later. Bu~t since you're so eager to give a baby to someone else, I figured that you can help me test these before making their siblings!"

Izuku stared at Mei, looking at the gloves for a moment before seeing the problem. "A-Ah, okay… s-so what do I need to do?"

"I want you to climb the wall of the garage and reach the very center of the ceiling! That way, I can fine tune the strength of the electromagnets so they won't blow up in someone's hands." Mei pointed at the metal panel wall before pointing to the light implemented in the ceiling. "Do that, and I'll make your friend's knee brace!"

Izuku felt his jaw slack, suddenly realizing just how difficult his new test was going to be. _T-This is going to be more than just taking a hit like the last ones!_ He looked at the walls and the ceiling, the metal plated walls at least a few meters in height with the ceiling sharing a similar diameter.

"Feel free to start when you're ready~! Adjust the dials accordingly if you need to! Those are a big part of testing for me, as well!" Mei said, pulling out a notepad and a pen. Izuku felt sweat trail down his face, looking up at the wall and swallowing his spit. Taking a breath, Izuku shook the tension out of his arms and stretched them out as best he could. Looking down at the gloves, he flipped a small switch on the back next to the dial, hearing the gloves hum to life. He then raised his arms to put them on the wall.

Until he felt the magnets pull him forward.

"Agh!" His hands were glued to the wall before he'd gotten within arms reach of it. "Th-The magnet's strong!"

"They sure are! What setting are they on?" Mei asked while jotting something down on paper.

"I-It's at the center on both."

"I see, I see. Can you move your hands?" Izuku tried to pull himself away, but it was like trying to peel something out of dried cement. He'd lose his hands before he would make the magnets budge.

"No, not at all!"

"Well, that's in need of obvious calibration…" Her eyes darted between him and the page she was writing on. "Pull your hand out of the glove and set it to low! See how strong the polarity is after that."

Izuku did just that, huffing as he struggled to pull his right hand. Finally tugging it free, he moved the dial on both hands to low. He put his hand back in the glove, thankful to find that he could lift his hands off the wall again. He had to slowly peel each one off, but that just meant he was firmly secured to the wall. "Okay. That seems like a good setting for climbing…"

"Great! Now get climbing!" Mei said, grinning at him with sparkling eyes. "Don't worry. If you fall, you'll hit the padded floor!"

Izuku pursed his lips, knowing full well by now that the padded floor only absorbed so much impact. With a deep sigh, he faced the wall again.

 _This is for Ryuji-senpai. I can do this._

Izuku rolled his shoulders and neck before placing the gloves against the wall. With a hard tug, he grit his teeth and raised his left arm as high as he could. Once it was secure, he pulled his right arm up to meet his left and slowly started pulling himself up. His arms and shoulders were already starting to burn by the time he made it halfway off the floor. Using these gloves felt less like rock climbing and more like being stuck to a wall by two sheets of flypaper. But he refused to give up. He focused on peeling his arms off the wall one by one. One hand, then the next hand. Then the next hand. Then-

He lost his balance. Izuku's left arm got into a weird position trying to crane him up and he hissed as all of his weight was put on his other arm. He wobbled in the air trying to get his left arm back on the wall, but his frantic movements ripped the other glove off the walli.

"Agh!" He fell on his rear with a hard thud, panting and sweating. Luckily, he hadn't gotten too high, so the padded floor at least helped him here. "D-Damn, that really is harder than it looks…"

"That's why I had a pair of boots and knee pads to go with it!" Mei explained with a shrug. "But~ if you really want to get something for this friend, then you have to help me finish testing this baby!"

Izuku bit his bottom lip, seeing little room for him to complain on the matter. He was asking for something a bit more outside of their deal. If this is what Mei wanted, he was willing to work for it. He leapt to his feet. "Okay. I'm going to try again! I can do this!"

* * *

 _I don't know if I can do this…_

It had been an hour since he started working on Mei's test. Izuku's arms were beyond sore. He'd slipped off the wall more times then he'd care to say. After the half-hour mark, Izuku had finally muscled his way to the ceiling. He wanted to celebrate, but he soon found that clinging to the ceiling while moving was a task of its own. He'd be left hanging as soon as he pulled one hand off the ceiling and he'd fall not long afterward. Trying to up the magnetic force in the gloves just made it even harder to find his balance. He could feel his back bruising from all the times he fell and the padding never seemed to make things better..

"Well~, I think that's about enough," said Mei. She'd been lost in her own little world during his struggle, focused on the data she gathered from watching him squirm and fall over and over. "We'll have to call it a night. It's getting late."

"A-Ah… but… okay…" His head thudding against the mat as he decided to let it go. "I-I'll try and… finish it next time…"

"Oh, no, you don't need to do that." Mei waved him off. "I've gathered all the data I needed! Aside from recalibrating the dial, they still work as good as ever! The next time you come, bring your friend!"

Izuku's eyes lit up, forcing himself to a sitting position. "Really?!"

"Yup! I'd say you proved your commitment enough for one day!" Mei said, giving him a thumbs up. "Plus I got what I needed, so fair's fair!"

He wobbled to his feet with a tired smile on his face. "Thank you, Hatsume-san…" He bowed in gratitude before almost falling over in place.

"Careful, now! I need you in top shape for the next baby I need you to test!" Mei said, helping him to his feet. "But to build your friend the proper baby, he needs to come with you next time! I won't know what to make him otherwise!"

He nodded fervently. "O-Of course, I'll let him know!"

"Good! Thanks for the data as always, Midoriya!" Mei said, grabbing the Magnet Mitts off the ground and taking them over to her table. Izuku breathed a sigh of relief as she spared him from further pain,. It showed a bit more understanding on her part, and Izuku felt he understood her a bit more as well.

 ***SMASH***

 **Fortune: RANK THREE**

* * *

"Ah, you're back. Perfect timing, I've got another clinical trial I'd like to run."

Izuku stared at Takemi in mild exasperation. "T-Takemi-sensei… I um… just came by for some medicine today…"

"Ah, I see. Well, we can get to that after a clinical trial," Takemi said, smirking as she turned away from Izuku. He opened his mouth to protest, only for her to head for the door on her side of the office. "We'll speak further in the examination room."

"But…" Takemi closed the door behind her, causing Izuku to slump his shoulders in disappointment.

"Looks like you have it pretty rough, today," said Morgana as he popped his head out of the bag. "Want me to come with you this time?"

"No… it's alright. Hopefully she doesn't give me something too potent today…" Izuku sighed, setting the bag down for Morgana. "Thanks for asking, though."

"Of course! I'm always ready to help out when you need it, leader!" Morgana puffed his chest out after hopping out of the bag. "But uh… it'll be hard to do that outside."

"It's okay. I'll see you soon." Izuku said, picking the bag back up before entering the next room over.

"You took your time. I thought you might have left instead." Takemi chuckled, crossing her legs before turning in her chair toward him. "So, what's bothering you?"

"Nothing severe today. Just some muscle pain and a few bruises after a… really hard physical test in P.E. yesterday…" He winced as he laid his bag down next to the examination table. The soreness from Mei's latest test had diminished during the ride back, but he still felt tight and tender all over when he woke up that morning. His insistence on going at it without any breaks certainly didn't help.

"I see. Sounds like usual muscle tearing after a workout." Takemi folded one leg over the other and leaned forward on her knee. "Take your shirt off for me."

Izuku's eyes became owlish, staring at the doctor with shrunken pupils. "Huh?"

"Come on. I'm giving you a physical examination." She sounded professional, but her face gave away her obvious amusement. "I just want to make sure there isn't anything else wrong so I can prescribe the right medicine before we move onto the clinical trial."

Izuku felt his face heat up in embarrassment. Perhaps more than he should. After all, she was an older woman, so it shouldn't have been a problem, right? Of course, he knew her well enough by now to know she'd tease him whether he did it or not.

He slowly peeled his blazer and his school shirt. He was already imagining the jokes Takemi would be making at his expense when he met her eyes again. "I-I'm ready…"

To his surprise, the doctor was staring at him like he'd grown a second head. Izuku's eyes darted side to side, waiting for her to say something as blood continued to rush to his face. "T-Takemi-sensei..?"

Her surprise morphed into her usual sly amusement. "I knew you said you worked out, but I didn't expect you to hide all of this under your clothes."

"T-Thanks…" Izuku laughed quietly, scratching the back of his head as he looked away from the doctor. "I've, um… been exercising for a while now."

She laughed as she got up to walked up to him. "Come on, be a little proud of yourself. Most guys your age would kill for a body like this. You'd have the pick of the litter if you actually knew how to talk to women."

"Takemi-sensei…" Izuku whined, wrapping his arms tighter to his body.

"Oh, alright~. Don't go back into your shell on me now." She placed one hand on her hip. "Come on, move your arms and I'll begin my examination."

Izuku let out a hesitant sigh before following her instruction, allow the doctor to get closer. He felt nervous at first as Takemi began to put a hand on his biceps, but lost that nervousness when he saw her eyes.

Takemi's gaze quickly shifted from amused to critical, looking over his body with the utmost care. She touched his muscles where most tender and listened to his breathing for abnormalities, letting out a hum as she finished. Izuku saw the professional doctor in Takemi come out. Despite her typical demeanor and her modest location, Takemi worked as strictly, if not more so, than most other doctors Izuku had met.

"Alright. Aside from the bruising on your back and arms, it's nothing a good night's sleep won't fix." She sat back down in her chair. "You said you got these bruises in P.E.?"

"Y-Yeah. I slipped during the rope climb."

"Is that so? You look the part of an athlete, at least. Go ahead and put your shirt back on."

He didn't need to be asked twice, snatching his shirt up and pulling it on. As he did so, he heard the phone ring.

"Hello, Takemi Medical Clinic of Internal Medicine. How can I help you?" She answered it while he slipped his blazer on. "An emergency, huh? But we're not a designated hospital." Izuku saw her expression darken. "Besides… the lead physician here is Tae Takemi."

She blinked, the tone on the other end going dead. "How rude. Hanging up on a lady like that," she huffed, slamming the phone back on the receiver.

"Is everything okay?" Izuku asked.

"Yeah, nothing for me to worry about, at least. A paramedic just called the wrong number." She shrugged and leaned back in her seat. "He was looking for an alternate line since all the big hospitals seem to be full up. Must be new though if he called me by accident… He seemed to at least know my name, though."

Izuku's lips pressed into a line, but found the courage to ask. "Did this have something to do with what happened before?"

Takemi's gaze fell to the ground, scratching the back of her head. "... Yeah. I've been blacklisted in medical community. They call me the Plague due to a grave medical error I made."

 _Right. That cop mentioned that before._ Izuku thought. "What happened?"

She spared him a small glance, as if to assess whether to tell him or not. But after a moment, she gave in. "This goes back to my old job. I used to work at a university hospital in the city. I was never actually convicted of anything, but I'm still considered a pariah in the medical community."

She locked eyes with him, putting on a half-amused smile. "So, does that scare you? Participating in medical trials run by a doctor like that?"

Izuku felt a pang in his chest as she finished, . One mistake, however grave, ruined her career. Just like one mistake shifted the course of his life. He didn't know the details behind her issues, but he felt a deeper connection buid between him and the disgraced doctor.

In the end, he let out a sheepish laugh, scratching the back of his head as a thought came to him. "I mean… you already scared me before finding that out. I don't think knowing that changes anything, Takemi-sensei."

The doctor's brow rose a bit, but she flashed a small smile before letting out a soft chuckle. "You're such a strange kid… Though, for someone so awkward, you know what to say sometimes."

Izuku shared in her laughter. "I've been getting that a lot lately."

As strange as this arrangement was, Izuku felt that he was beginning to connect with her on a deeper level.

 ***SMASH***

 **Death Confidant: RANK THREE**

"Alright, well, that aside… being ostracized does have its own benefits. I'm allowed to pursue my own research and development now that most others will leave me to do as I please." She turned back to her laptop to punch some more information in. "I'll give you I'll give you some pain medication and Vitamin K cream to reduce your soreness and reduce the severity of your bruises. And… I'll add a bit more to the catalogue of things you can purchase. Just for you, my little guinea pig."

Izuku beamed and was about to thank her until he remembered why she brought him here. "A-Ah… that's right. You still…"

"Yup~," Takemi popped the 'p', turning her chair back to him with a beaker with a mysterious yellow liquid sloshing around inside. "Now come on, take a sip. You'll get your medicine once we're done."

Izuku's shoulders slumped in resignation. He clasped both hands around the beaker and opened wide.

 **To be continued…**

 **Thanks as always goes to my beta reppuzan for his help in cleaning up my work!**

 **Guess who's back, baby!**

 **Sorry that this chapter's a bit short, but I wanted to cover the final few things that needed covering before this arc's end. Because next chapter is the big one. The real finale behind the Madarame arc, the confession! And trust me when I say that we have a FEW things that will be going on all together when it happens! I'm going to make sure not to waste a moment, and hope to create a chapter that will get everyone hyped for the future!**

 **Anyways, that aside, I did still enjoy writing this one out. I took quite a bit of enjoyment in making some more original interactions for these confidant links as well as establishing the possible training and movesets that might be covered when working in Mementos for the group. It will definitely prove important in the future, and should add a bit more flavor to certain fights, hopefully.**

 **With that, I believe that's the end of the chapter! Please feel free to leave a follow, a favorite and a review if you'd be so kind! And while you're at it, check out the TV Tropes page for the story and maybe add to it a bit yourselves! I always like reading what people put up for that as well. Peace!**


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer: I own neither My Hero Academia or the Persona series**

Chapter 30

 _Yusuke: Madarame's going to confess today. I heard him call for an emergency conference over the phone._

 _Ryuji: For real?! We gotta meet up then! Maybe we can watch it together!_

 _Makoto: That might be a bit suspicious, but… I'm sure it's easy enough for us to blend in if anyone asks._

 _Ann: This is a pretty big deal, I want to meet up too!_

 _Izuku: Okay, let's meet up at the hideout. It's a Sunday, so it's easy enough to play off as friends hanging out._

Izuku navigated the sea of people flooding the Shibuya walkway, hoping to reach the others before the news conference would begin. It wasn't that important for them to all be there, but he thought it was something they should see as a team. After all, there would be a few things to discuss when it was finally over.

" _This just in, we will be bringing you footage from an emergency press conference hel by world-renowned artist Ichiryusai Madarame just moments ago."_

Izuku's neck snapped upward, the crowd ground to a halt as the normally quiet broadcast on Shibuya's largest screen echoed throughout the street. Madarame's image appeared on the screen, the old fraud was sitting in front of a desk covered in microphones. A deep frown rested on his lips, his eyes filled to the brim with tears.

"What's up with that old geezer?"

"Is he crying?"

Chatter like this broke across the crowd, people making their thoughts not so private. Izuku was silent as a statue, though, watching Madarame intently.

" _I… I have committed crimes that are unbecoming of an artist…"_ he began, his voice cracking. _"Plainly put… I, um… plagiarized work… "_

Cameras flashed constantly until he hunched over the table in front of him. _"I-I… tainted this… this country's art world… and… even Sayuri…"_ Madarame continued to break down with each word, tears streaming down his face as he crumbled onto the table. _"How… How could I possibly… apologize to-to everyone I've… for everything I've done?! Ahhh~!"_

The cameras flashes came like a storm and only ceased when the broadcast was switched over to the newscaster. _"That was the urgent apology press conference that occurred only moments ago. After reporting to the association, Madarame has agreed to the police's request that he turn himself in. On top of charges of abuse to his pupils, Madarame is under suspicion of claiming his work as his own. Some doubt that his maiden work, 'Sayuri', was stolen, and rather was used for fraud."_

"That's so crazy, I just watched him talk on a morning show the other day!"

"That old man's done for."

" _After the conference, Madarame was taken to a hospital by the police for interrogation due to his age. However, initial psychiatric evaluations have deemed Madarame mentally sound and likely responsible for his actions."_

"They don't need to take it easy on that old geezer! He gets what he deserves!"

Izuku felt a weight leave his shoulders as the people around him continued to chatter among themselves.

 _It's done. We can move forward, again._

" _Also, a group calling themselves the 'Phantom Thieves' planted a dubious note at Madarame's exhibit some days ago."_ Izuku's head snapped back up to the prompter, almost shocked to hear their names being spread across all of Shibuya and by extension, the rest of Japan. _"The police will continue to investigate their relation to the case, but no suspects have been identified. Madarame will be further tested for any influence caused by possible mind-altering Quirks."_

"'Phantom Thieves'? Do they have something to do with why he confessed?"

"I think I heard about them online, before. I just thought it was a kid with a crazy Quirk, but maybe it's bigger than that…"

"What kind of Quirk makes somebody confess to a crime? Not to mention in a sorry state like that!"

"They supposedly 'steal people's hearts', but obviously that's just a figure of speech."

Izuku felt a smile slowly spread across his face. The Phantom Thieves were no longer something the people could simply brush off as 'small-time'. Their names were spreading like wildfire right before his eyes.

 _The more that people see us, the more people who need the help can get it._

"The Phantom Thieves, huh? Helping people is great, but… I don't like them."

Izuku pulled his eyes away from the crowd towards the source of the voice. A young woman with striking red hair tied up in a ponytail and matching eyes stood to his left, her eyes glued to the screen like everyone else. She wore a polka-dotted blue blouse with a white skirt and slippers.

"We already have Heroes around. This isn't making anything better. People don't need someone else to rely on top of them." She continued, making him wonder if she was actually speaking to him. Her eyes soon left the screen, trailing to Izuku and seemingly taking notice to him. She gave a kind smile and giggled sheepishly. "Sorry, did I say that out loud? I guess I was just saying what was on my mind without thinking."

Izuku opened his mouth to reply, the words stuck in his throat as he thought about her own. In the end, he could only muster up a short response. "No, it's fine…"

The girl nodded before looking at a phone in her hand. "Uh oh, I lingered longer than I meant to! I'm going to be late to register…" She muttered, stuffing it away before jogging past Izuku. "Nice to meet you!" She said curtly as she left.

"Yeah…" Izuku mumbled, giving a small wave as he watched her run to the station entrance. His lips tightened into a frown, her words echoing in his mind.

 _Why would she think that? Of course we're making things better… right?_

"The nerve of that girl, I swear!"

Izuku yelped as Morgana popped out of his bag.

"There's no way what we're doing isn't making anything better! Look at how many people we've helped so far!" He leaned on Izuku's shoulder. "I can't believe that even after that, we still have doubters."

"Well… it's natural, no matter what it is," Izuku shook his head. "There will always be people who disagree. Even Heroes face that kind of criticism."

"Still! It rubs me the wrong way that people think we're not real heroes just because we're not official!" the cat said, absently pushing a paw against Izuku's cheek. "We'll show her! Her and everyone else still doubting what we're capable of!"

Izuku stared at Morgana for a moment before letting a grin rest on his features. "Yeah. We've still got a ways to go, but we'll change her mind and everyone else's!"

* * *

"You took your time, dude! What kept you?" Ryuji asked, he along with the others waiting in the usual spot of the subway path.

"Sorry. I got caught up watching the conference in the streets," Izuku said, jogging up to them and smiling. "But it looks like everything went perfectly."

Ryuji grinned. "No kiddin'! It was just like with Kamoshida!"

"And they mentioned the Phantom Thieves!" Ann said, pumping a fist at her side.

"Alright, guys. Maybe we shouldn't celebrate so loudly?" said Makoto, though an unmistakable smile rested on her lips too. "Still, it is a little exhilarating to see our efforts bearing fruit. Everything went perfectly and we got recognition for our work."

"I know, right?! Man, with this, we'll be able to change way more people's hearts!" Ryuji nodded fervently. " Hell, we could do more than just get back at society at this rate! It'll be a huge deal!"

" _... This isn't making anything better."_

Izuku tried to brush those words aside. "Yeah. We'll make more people see that there are just some who need us!"

"Definitely! If we keep this up, we'll be able to give courage to everyone who needs it!" Ann nodded in agreement.

"No one else will be forgotten by society. Not while we're around," Yusuke added. Before anyone could add to the conversation though, two men hovered close by, one dressed in a suit while the other was a police officer. "We may want to quiet down."

"Attendance officers. If they come over, act natural and follow my lead," whispered Makoto. "It's Sunday, so they can't give us trouble for anything."

Ryuji ground his teeth. "Tsk. Why they even botherin' on a Sunday?" He soon morphed his expression into a casual frown, watching as the officers approached them.

"Hello, there. May I speak with you all for a moment?" said the man in the suit and sunglasses.

"Ah, yes! How can we help you on this fine day, officer?" Ann's voice carried an obviously forced cheerfulness to it.

Morgana shivered. "That monotonous acting of hers never fails to send a chill down my spine,"

"What are you all doing here? Are you friends?" The officer continued, the other remaining silent as he watched them analytically.

"W-Why yes, officer. We were all just meeting here to-to go out for lunch! It is a Sunday, after all. No reason we can't spend the day out as friends, correct?" The others grimaced as Makoto's attempts at deception.

"Koto-san's having trouble too…" Izuku mumbled under his breath.

"I see. Well, okay then. Just make sure you all disperse before it gets too late, okay? There have been some odd happenings lately, and the news about the artist has caused quite a stir." The officer continued.

"We'll be careful!" Ann nodded quickly. The officers gave a curt nod before leaving them be, causing the group to breathe a unanimous sigh of relief.

"It's still light out. Man, those guys must have way too much time on their hands," Ryuji huffed in annoyance.

Ann beamed at Makoto. "Good job, Makoto. I think we got by thanks to our acting."

"I think we've gotten better since our little debacle with Yusuke-kun," Makoto nodded eagerly.

Izuku felt an eyebrow twitch. "T-That was better..?"

"If it makes you feel better, I'd say… just as bad," Morgana shook his head. "That aside, we'll need to be even more cautious than before. A lot more people know the Phantom Thieves now, so that also means a lot more eyes will be watching us. I mean, look at us! Right after both incidents, both prior victims are meeting up!"

The cheery mood evaporated. "You mean people are watching us?" Ann asked.

"It wouldn't be out of the question. I'm sure that if things were different or ifKobayakawa had chosen someone else, there would be someone watching us as we speak." Makoto agreed, her gaze hardening.

"Eh, we'll be fine. Now that you're on our side, we don't gotta think about it too much, right?" Ryuji shrugged. "We're the only ones worryin' about it right now."

"I guess you're right," Ann said hesitantly.

"No, Koto-san and Morgana-san are right." Izuku's brow furrowed. "We still need to exercise caution. We don't know how serious the police are taking us yet, but ideally they won't take kindly to it."

"It seems reasonable enough for us to be more aware of our surroundings, I suppose." Yusuke nodded in agreement.

"Alright, alright. Guess you guys're right," Ryuji relented before turning to Yusuke. "By the way, were you ever able to get anything outta Madarame? You know, about that guy in the black mask?"

Yusuke shook his head "I pressed him for answers, but there wasn't much he could say. Everything that happened did occur in his subconscious, after all.".

"Yeah, it's hard to imagine he would have anything to tell us about it," said Izuku, holding his chin in thought. "We'll just have to try and keep an eye out the next time we tackle a Palace. I don't know if it's a coincidence, but the man in the black mask is targeting people with Palaces. But since we handled Madarame's, it looks like we don't have anything else to go off of."

"And Madarame is likely to go to jail for his crimes. If that's the case, questioning him further will be difficult," Yusuke added.

Ryuji crossed his arms. "Yeah… so, what are you gonna do now?".

"I'll be leaving that place. It's no longer somewhere that I can draw."

"Do you have somewhere to go?" asked Ann.

"The school dorms. Thanks to the fine-arts scholarship I received, I'm allowed to stay there for free," Yusuke explained.

Ryuji's jaw dropped. "A scholarship?! Just how damn good are you at drawing?!"

"Although…" Yusuke turned to Ann. "Takamaki-san's house do just as well."

"Wait, what?!"

"You know, you _could_ ask her to model for you anytime you want if you did that," Ryuji teased, grinning at the twin-tailed blonde.

"You moron!" Ann huffed, glaring at Ryuji.

"Then again, it'll be easier for us to meet up now that Yusuke's livin' alone." Ryuji said, looking back at the artist.

"For the time being, we should wait and see how this case plays out," Yusuke suggested, rolling his neck out.

"Plus it'll take time to find a target as big as Madarame, anyway," Ryuji sighed.

"I guess that means we're just going to have to act like normal students as usual while we look for our next target," Ann nodded.

"We'll leave finding our next target to you then, Ryuji," Morgana said, looking at the faux blond.

"Alright, guess it's just more prep 'til then." Ryuji nodded in acceptance.

"Just remember, everyone needs to make sure that they don't draw too much attention to themselves in this coming month. We don't need any more prying eyes prying than we already have," Makoto said, crossing her arms over her chest. Everyone nodded in agreement, picking up their bags and departing for the day.

* * *

" _... The suspect has repeatedly testified that he does not have any further recollection of his actions. A full psychiatric evaluation will be performed to further investigate the crime's detail and motives, as well as any sign of a possible Quirk used in the situation."_

"First Kamoshida at Shujin Academy, and now Madarame," Sae Niijima paused the television before turning to the lone man in the room. He was the Special Investigations Unit Director, a balding codger who never seemed to leave his desk

"I've found commonality between the two, including the fact that a 'calling card' was sent to both days prior to their unforeseen 'changes of heart'.."

"I see. But isn't tying their cases to the psychotic breakdowns jumping to conclusions?" He asked, raising a brow skeptically. "Furthermore, the police aren't going to appreciate you stepping in on their case."

"This isn't the time for jurisdiction or honor. We need to dig deeper and find a correlation between these incidents in these past two, three years."

The SIU director breathed out a sigh, leaning the bridge of his brow against his linked hands in front of him. "Very well. I'll leave it to you. But don't let this interfere with your regular duties."

"Thank you, sir." Sae bowed in appreciation, straightening back out before taking her leave. The SIU Director waited a moment until she closed the door behind her.

"Tsk. That damn woman has to stick her nose into this…"

Sae went to her office and picked up her briefcase, slinging it over her shoulder before moving down the steps toward the main lobby of the courthouse.

"Ah, there you are. I thought you would make me wait forever."

Sae's gaze trailed up, seeing a familiar young man waiting at the center of the steps. He was in his late teens wearing a high school uniform of what most would assume to be a preparatory school, wearing a button up white shirt with a pinstripe necktie. He had shaggy chin-length brown hair and reddish-brown eyes.

"Sorry to have called you at the last minute, Akechi. I wanted to get your opinion again," Sae said, walking past him toward the bottom of the stairs.

"Well, I wasn't surprised. Today's broadcast was certainly something to behold," the boy, Akechi, chuckled, trailing just behind her. "Shall we do lunch again?"

"Yes." Sae came to a stop at the center of the bottom steps, sparing a look around.

"What is it?" Akechi asked, tilting his head in question.

"Strange. I figured he would be here by now as well," Sae said, looking back at Akechi. "Have you-"

"Here I am!"

Akechi nearly jumped out of his skin when a young man's face poked through the railing next to him. Right through the railing panel, as if it were a ghost. Sae raised a brow before letting out a sigh.

"You're certainly in a good mood to be pulling off pranks, Togata."

"Hahaha~! Sorry!" said the face before retracting from the railing panel as if it hadn't been there. Walking around to the front of the stairs was a young man with blond hair styled like a cowlick up top while combed down on the sides. He had round, blue eyes, and wore the U.A. school uniform, minus the blazer. In contrast to Akechi, who was slim, Mirio was built like a brickhouse. His short-sleeved dress shirt did little to hide his bulging arms as well as faint scars earned while battling Villains.

"I just thought I would pop in and see if I could surprise the always stoic Akechi-kun!"

"Well… you certainly accomplished that." Akechi sheepishly laughed, his lips forming into a strained smile. "It's good to see you, Mirio-san."

"You as well! Guess Sae-san called us both in, huh?" Mirio said with an exasperated wave of his hand. "Looking forward to brainstorming together! So, we getting food?"

"Yes. Since you're both here, we'll get ramen." said Sae.

The smile Mirio flashed could light up the room. "Yes! Ramen sounds perfect right now!"

"I have to say, I'm somewhat hurt by your show of favoritism, Sae-san," Akechi punctuated the thought with a dour sigh. "We're going to go with Togata-san's favorite instead of mine?"

Sae shrugged before giving them a grin of her own. "Ramen is cheaper than sushi, even on a conveyor belt. If you have a complaint, you could always purchase the sushi yourself."

"Oh, you can be so cruel sometimes, Sae-san," Akechi chuckled, shaking his head.

"Don't worry, Akechi-kun! Today we'll try some new ramen that will fit your palette better!" Mirio said, slapping him on the shoulder kindly before skipping ahead of Sae. "Come on! I know a good place nearby!"

Sae and Akechi watched the excitable Hero-in-training jog through the courthouse lobby, the former releasing a sigh while Akechi scratched his cheek.

"You seem to bring us both in quite a bit lately, hm?" Akechi spared a look at Sae. "Taking a shine to our soon-to-be Hero, are we?"

"As carefree as Togata acts, he brings an interesting perspective into the equation. You both have insight that, while at times conflicting, helps to account for all possible issues."

"I understand. He certainly makes for an interesting chess partner, as well," Akechi chuckled, nodding in agreement as he and Sae moved forward to follow Mirio.

* * *

"Did you guys hear about those Phantom Thieves of Hearts?!"

Bakugou couldn't have cared less about what Raccoon Eyes was screeching about. She was slamming her hands on one of the desks at the front. To his irritation, most of the other extras seemed interested in the topic.

"Oh, yeah! I saw part of that press conference about the old man, too! Don't know what the big deal was…" said Dunce Face with a stupid look of contemplation.

"Tsk. Could you idiots be any louder..?" Bakugou muttered as he tried to tune them out.

"You don't know, Kaminari-san? He's… well, he _was_ a world renowned artist. His paintings were worth millions. But now… I can't help but wonder what will become of them," Ponytail's voice trailed off towards the end. "Some of it was really good...I hope the right people get credit for their hard work, now."

"Still, ya gotta admit that those Phantom Thieves sound pretty manly!" This time it was a somewhat less irritating voice, Weird Hair, speaking this time. "They exposed that guy for the fake that he was!"

"But Kirishima-chan, the Phantom Thieves are still acting as vigilantes. Even if what they did is good, it's still a criminal act," Bakugo heard Froggy say with that irritating neutrality of hers.

"I-I know! That's not good and all, but… someone had to stand up for those people, right? You have to respect how they were able to put a stop to it!"

"I agree with Kirishima-kun! Those Phantom Thieves sound pretty cool!" piped Round Face. Her usual energy was enough to make Bakugo click his tongue in annoyance. "Leaving a calling card and making him confess to all his crimes… it's kinda romantic, don't you think?"

"Phantom Thieves… stealing hearts from evil-doers in the dark of night in pursuit of justice… impressive." What was Bird Face blabbering about this time?

"Right?! Maybe they're like those guys from the old cartoons!" Raccoon Eyes squealed before breathing a dreamy sigh. "They're on the wrong side of the law, but really they're just dashing rogues trying to do right in their own way! Maybe when we're all heroes, they'll be like frenemies!"

"Whoa~, I like that idea! I want to have a super handsome thief guy to banter with!" Bakugou could only imagine that it was Invisible chick who would chime in with the rest of the idiots.

"Tsk! Girls are always into those bad boy types! Those bastard Phantom Thieves…" Bakugou had half a mind to turn around and tell the Grape Shit to quit bitching with his whiny voice and die.

"What do you think, Bakugou? Even you had to hear about it by now." Bakugou cracked his eyes opened momentarily to glare at Weird Hair.

"Like I care. They're probably a bunch of idiots getting in over their heads." He crossed his arms over his chest before shutting his eyes again.

"Surprising no one, Bakugou's acting too cool for even the Phantom Thieves."

"Quiet, Dunce Face." That seemed to be enough to make the electric bastard stumble in his seat.

"I wonder why it only surfaced now, though." This time it was Ears pitching in. _How many of these idiots are gonna join in?!_ "If people were getting abused and he was knowingly stealing their art, how come no one spoke up?"

"It's not easy…"

Even as his anger started to boil over, he couldn't help but glance back when the Half-and-Half Bastard of all people spoke up. The rest of the class seemed to share the sentiment, turning to face its strongest member with looks of confusion.

"... for some people to admit when the person raising them is hurting them."

 _The hell is that supposed to mean?_ Bakugo narrowed the single open eye at Half and Half.

The classroom door swung open, bringing the explosive teen's attention back to the front. Of course Glasses was stomping his way inside.

"Everyone, please get to your assigned seats! Class is about to start!" Bakugo reluctantly sat up in his seat, not wanting to hear any crap from Aizawa, at least.

"We're all at our seats, dude." said Dunce Face. Bakugo didn't need to see Glasses' face to know that he was cringing in embarrassment before quietly taking his own seat.

"Good job, Iida…" Aizawa's voice grumbled through the door, Bakugou's eyes shifting ever so slightly to it. Seeing his homeroom teacher cocooned in a sleeping bag and hauled to class by Fake Glasses was a familiar sight at this point. "Just put me on the podium."

"Right." Bakugo hated how quiet he was. Unlike Half-and-Half Bastard who always shot ice from range, Fake Glasses was different in a fight. Aggressive and almost bloodthirsty.

 _That quiet kid act doesn't fool me, bastard._

"Thanks, Amamiya. Class doesn't start for a few minutes, so get whatever chitchat you have out of your systems now." Aizawa advised the class.

After setting their teacher down on the podium, Fake Glasses walked to his chair, which happened to be behind Bakugou. The two exchanged a small glance, which was far too common to not piss the explosive blond off constantly. Of course, nothing ever came of it, as he only would return to his seat without a word.

"Hey, Amamiya! Aizawa-sensei make you work early?" Raccoon Eyes giggled, her voice bubblier than usual. Not that Bakugo cared, but it grated his ears when half the girls in the class would speak to him in some sort of overly cheerful tone.

"A little bit. But it was nothing big."

"Who knew you'd be such a hard worker," Invisible Chick added. Bakugou could only grind his teeth and watch the clock as he waited for the idiots around him to finally shut up.

"S-So, Amamiya-kun. What do you think of the Phantom Thieves?" It was Ears chipping in this time, her voice far more awkward than the rest of Fake Glasses' fangirls. "Everyone was talking about them earlier."

"The Phantom Thieves, huh?" He answered with a thoughtful hum. "... I think they're pretty cool. Even if their methods are questionable."

"Right?! That's what we were saying!" Bakugou's eye twitched at how fast Raccoon Eyes answered him.

 ***RING~***

"Class has officially started! So everyone, be quiet!"

"Yes sir!"

* * *

"You have to admit that those Phantom Thieves did a real service, huh?"

Kazuho Haneyama couldn't be bothered to stifle the sigh that escaped her mouth when she heard Koichi say that. She slid the skintight black leotard over her waist and looped her arms through the top. Once it was secure on her upper body, she stuck her head out from behind the curtain she used to change.

"Will you shut up about them already?! They're nothing special," she huffed before sliding behind the curtain again, picking up her elbow-length gloves and sliding on the left one first.

"Oh, come on. Aren't you a little impressed? I mean, sure, we help people on the streets and stop punks now and again, but those guys took down a _huge_ bad guy! I've been reading into the whole story ever since his confession, and so many people were affected by what he did!" The All Might super fan was still staring at his phone, scrolling through article after article.

" _Of course you have,"_ Kazuho rolled her eyes, slipping on her right glove before peeking out again. "Shouldn't you be pissed off, though?! We've been doing this vigilante stuff for a while and no one even bats an eye about it! But they take down one guy and they're the talk of the town!"

"There's nothing wrong with that. Sure, they get credit, but they still have to be pretty secretive about what they're doing. We can go out pretty often without having to worry too much on our own." Koichi shrugged. "What's your problem with them?"

Her eyes trailed to the side, "I don't have a problem."

"She's just upset that the press conference stole attention away from her concert."

Kazuho jumped when she heard Knuckleduster's voice. He sat at the edge of the short table, sipping on a beer before letting out a burp.

"Oh... right. You were performing when that happened yesterday." Kazuho ground her teeth as he continued. "You had your entire crowd pulled away before you could even start, huh?" He laughed.

"Shut up! I don't need you rubbing it in! They just _had_ to air that everywhere! Stupid Phantom Thieves…"

"Kid's right, though. Getting that kind of notoriety would be bad for us." Knuckleduster flipped through another page of the newspaper. "Let them have all the fame."

She tugged her thigh-high boots on. "That's easy for you to say, old man! I'm trying to become an idol! I can't be considered legit if I don't have a crowd!"

"That's not important right now. We need to start looking into that drug."

"You mean that Trigger stuff? We hit a pretty big dead end on that one…" Koichi trailed off thoughtfully.

"No. That one's important, but I'm more worried about that Quirk-stopping bullet that hit you," Knuckleduster explained, the white eye holes of his mask narrowing.

"Oh, right. Koichi's Quirk turned off for a couple hours, right?" Kazuho walked out from behind the curtain, now fully dressed. "That was pretty crazy."

Kazuho wouldn't say it out loud, but her heart had stopped when she thought Koichi had been shot by a legit bullet. She almost burst into tears when she went to check on him.

"Yeah. I've never seen anything like that before. Don't know where the guy got it from either," Knuckleduster rubbed the five-o-clock shadow on his chin. "Hate to say it, but we might have to focus on that instead of Trigger until something comes up."

Koichi shrugged. "Is it really that bad? I mean, it sucked to not be able to use my Quirk for a little, but it came back to me."

"You idiot. Having your Quirk stop working like that is a big deal! There's never been a case of that happening before!" Kazuho pointed her index finger at him. "Don't take something like that so lightly!"

"And we don't know if that's the end of it, either," said Knuckleduster. "What we saw could just be a precursor to something stronger. Something that might take away someone's Quirk permanently."

Koichi and Kazuho widened their eyes, sparing a look at one another in concern.

"Wh-What should we do then?" asked Koichi.

 _Of course he wants to do something about it._ Kazuho both hated and admired that about him.

"For now, lay low. I'm gonna try and reach out and get some info from the local punks and gangs, see what we can dig up."

Koichi and Kazuho both grimaced.

"So basically, you're gonna run around beating up idiots for info again?" she groaned.

"If it works, it works."

"It doesn't work when you just pick random punks! Especially when you knock them out before you can even question them!"

"Well, we've got a lot of punks to work with, so it should be fine."

Koichi could only let out a strained chuckle. "That's Sensei for you…"

"Unbelievable…"

"By the way, that means I'm not gonna be doing security for your concerts for a while."

"Again?! Come on! You good-for-nothing old man! I need new help already!"

"Aw, come on, Pop. Chill…"

* * *

A skeleton of a man sat alone in a Big Bang Burger, his eyes distant as he stared out the restaurant window. He wore a loose hanging dress shirt that clung to the edges of his thin frame, a blue tie dangling from his neck with black slacks. He had long unkempt blond hair, with two extremely long bangs along the ridge of his face.

" _... Today, after the backlash from Madarame's confession to fraud and abuse at his own press conference, police have contacted a number of his previous pupils."_ The thin man's head slowly shifted to the television, a pit building in his gut as the newscaster continued, _"So far, several confirmed that the former artist had indeed taken their works and claimed them as his own. Police are continuing to investigate just how deep Madarame's crimes go. We now bring you over to…"_

 _So even now, I'm not doing enough. Just like I thought…_

"Hey." The skeletal man's eyes fell away from the television, a small smile forcing its way onto his thin face. "Sorry I'm late, Yagi-san."

"Don't mention it, Tsukauchi. Take a seat. I figured you'd be busy after yesterday," The thin man, Toshinori, nodded in understanding as he motioned to the seat across from him. "How are things at the police station?"

"Hectic is one way of putting it. But at this point, it feels like an understatement," his friend answered. He slumped into his seat with a tired sigh and set aside his tan fedora. Tsukauchi was built like the ideal police officer, tall and broad-shouldered with a face anyone could trust. "There has been a lot of running around to deal with the Madarame scandal, as well as another review from the IAB into some of our officers."

"Another one?" Toshinori asked, genuinely surprised.

"Judging from the interviews with Madarame's former pupils, those who had gone to the police were either ignored or even arrested for 'slander'." Tsukauchi rubbed a hand along his face. "This whole thing is… revealing more than we would have liked."

Toshinori felt as though a new hole was tearing into his non-existent stomach. "I… I see. That's unfortunate."

 _Am I failing to inspire even our very own police officers?_

"Yeah… but I suppose it's a good thing, even if it's inconvenient at the time," Tsukauchi leaning back in his chair. "We're at least weeding out the corrupt officers running around. But… it certainly hurts to know that we've had so many right under our noses."

"There's no way you could have known…" Tsukauchi shook his head.

"It's okay, I know. I just thought that… we, as a society, were past those kind of things. That the men and women of the force were striving toward that honest image and upholding it." Tsukauchi crossed his arms over his chest, shaking his head. "But I suppose I was being too naive."

Toshinori's gaze fell to the table, Tsukauchi unknowingly echoing a lingering thought of his own. "Perhaps we both were."

The two stewed in their thoughts until Tsukauchi broke the silence. "Well, that aside, how are you doing? You haven't been slowing down too much lately, have you?"

Toshinori let out a sheepish chuckle. "Well… it's hard when things happen right in front of you. But thankfully my time period hasn't dropped substantially in some time, so it's not a big deal."

"But it is dropping, Yagi-san. However slowly," Tsukauchi frowned. "I know you've been working as often as possible with the time you're allowed, but don't you think it's time to reconsider? I'm sure if you spoke with Nezu-san again, he'd be willing to work you into the school schedule even this late into the year."

Toshinori frowned again as he leveled his gaze back at Tsukauchi.

"The people that made Madarame confess… they're called the Phantom Thieves of Hearts, right?"

"The Phantom Thieves?" Tsukauchi repeated, raising a brow in wonder. "Yes, that's them. Their calling card were collected back at Madarame's exhibit. Why?"

"What do you think of them, Tsukauchi?"

"Well… at first I thought it might have been the work of a disgruntled student … That's still possible, but now their reach is extending far beyond Shujin Academy."

"I was understanding of their position in the first confession, but now I can't help but think of them as nothing more than criminals. They're using their Quirk illegally and recklessly. Sure, we know about Kamoshida and Madarame, but where does this stop? What's their final goal?"

Toshinori nodded in understanding, his eyes drifting back out to the window. He watched the denizens of Musutafu passing by with a somber expression on his face.

"I think that… the Phantom Thieves are a result of my failure."

Tsukauchi's breath caught in his throat. "Wh-What? Your failure? What are you talking about?"

"I'm supposed to be the Symbol of Peace. I'm supposed to inspire people to stand up for themselves without fear." Toshinori's fist tightening on the table in front of him. "But after being injured… I couldn't help but wonder if I was still doing enough. If taking it easy or spending my time teaching would begin to make people think I was neglectful of that. So I kept pushing. I kept fighting. I didn't want to let the influence of All Might slip away from the people's minds."

Toshinori's worn and weary eyes trailed back to Tsukauchi.

"But it was all for nothing. Evil men are still committing heinous crimes. _Children_ are still suffering under the influence of horrible men like that Kamoshida and now this Madarame fellow. Even worse, they had the help of men who _swore_ to protect and serve the people they abused…" Tsukauchi's expression fell at that, looking down in shame. "Despite their methods… the Phantom Thieves are the result of my failure to reach every person. And it… it hurts to know that."

"But Yagi-san… you know that you can't-"

"Save everyone. I'm well aware. It's what I told myself when I saw the news of Kamoshida's abuse. That I couldn't have known. But… my influence is supposed to reach those who need it, rather than myself. Perhaps the influence of the Symbol of Peace has weakened in these past years." Toshinori declared, his brow hardening. "I can't… stop until I've done what I can to fix that."

Tsukauchi's voice fell to a low whisper, his breath trembling. "But if you don't stop soon… you're going to _die_. "You can't keep pushing yourself until you drop. What about-"

"Don't worry… I'm still considering Nighteye's ward. But not yet. If I give him the power now, it will slowly begin to fade from me. I will pass on the power… but not until I've done all I can as the Symbol of Peace."

Tsukauchi felt conflicting emotions rise, both relieved to hear that he was ready to pass it on, but also worried that Toshinori would push himself beyond his limits before then. Knowing him well, the police officer had little doubt that the latter was highly probable.

"Yagi-san… your work as the Symbol of Peace is simply amazing. But that doesn't mean that villains will just… disappear. There's always going to be evildoers out there. And you shouldn't feel guilty because they're around."

"No… I promised my master I would create a world she could look on with pride. This past month shows that we-" Toshinori was cut off when he hacked for air, blood dripping at the edges of his mouth. Tsukauchi quickly reached for a napkin, but Toshinori held a hand up, waving him off. "I-I'm okay… I'm okay."

"Yagi-san… if you keep pushing like this-"

"I can only keep pushing, Tsukauchi. Only until I've made sure that I've done all I can before passing on my power," Toshinori declared, determination blazing in his icy blue eyes. "I'll go Plus Ultra in this next year. Then I will be ready."

Toshinori didn't mention a specific but important detail. Something that was still a secret between both him and Nighteye. But at the moment, this was the furthest thing from Toshinori's mind.

Their conversation came to an abrupt end when the Big Bang Burger shook. The two raised a brow before looking out the window. A giant balloon man was lumbering through the streets and crushing cars underfoot.

"Don't hire me, huh?! I'll show you all! I can do office work!"

Tsukauchi and Toshinori stared in befuddlement before the lanky man stood from his seat. "I suppose that's my cue."

"Well… you know what I'll say, but it won't stop you." Tsukauchi sighed, giving a nod. "Good luck out there, All Might."

"Right. Leave it to me!" Toshinori grinned widely before running outside and into the alley. Not long afterward, the Number One Hero erupted onto the scene and smashed his fist into the balloon man.

"Disgruntled or not, you won't be allowed to take your frustrations out on everyday citizens!" All Might proclaimed.

" **For I am here!"**

Tsukauchi stood from his seat soon after, making sure to report the incident occurring outside. He watched as All Might continued to knock the giant off its feet.

 _Please… take care of yourself, All Might._

* * *

A figure draped in a black trench coat quietly walked through the neon-lit streets of Kamino. His face was covered with a white surgical mask, his eyes hidden behind round frame sunglasses and his hair propped up in a fedora.

Some might consider his appearance to be suspicious, but it was a common sight for strangely dressed people to lurk in the in the back alleys of Kamino. The citizens were too busy with their day-to-day problems to notice or simply didn't care. Anyone who might have paid him any mind simply kept walking.

So when the figure walked into a shady hole in the wall bar, it didn't draw anyone's attention.

"Ah, young master. It's been some time since we last saw you here." The figure looked up to the bartender, a man made entirely of black mist, who stared back at him with pupiless yellow eyes.

"Hello, Kurogiri." he greeted, walking up to the bar and taking a seat before drawing the mask from his face, though leaving the glasses and fedora on. "It seems things are quiet here. I thought Tomura-san might be loitering here as usual."

"Shigaraki has been… anxious, lately. More so than usual," Kurogiri sighed, setting a cup down in front of the young man.

"It doesn't surprise me. He's been wanting to hunt down All Might for some time, now. But he hasn't shown any signs of slowing as of late. I'm sure it's driving Tomura-san mad." The disguised boy chuckled, looking down at his cup. "Might I get a whiskey on the rocks?"

"If you really want one. Though I don't believe you would want the smell of alcohol to ruin your image," Kurogiri said, crossing his arms behind his back.

The young man chuckled, "I suppose you have a point… I wasn't really interested anyways. Though it is nice to have the option available."

"Of course. It would hardly make sense to withhold a drink from you because you're underage. I believe we've both broken greater laws," Kurogiri gave a short laugh of his own. "So, what brings you here, young master? Most of your reports have been over the phone. Tokyo is more than an hour away by bullet train."

"I simply wished to pay a visit. Tokyo certainly has its charms, but when you're constantly surrounded by intolerable snobs, it begins to wear on you," He shrugged with an amused smile. "Besides, it can be rather fun to poke Tomura-san's buttons from time to time."

The bell to the bar's front door chimed. Both Kurogiri and the disguised young man turned to face the newcomer standing in the doorway. It was a scruffy white haired man decked out in all black, He glared at the boy sitting at the bar through one of many disembodied hands decorating his upper half..

"Tch. Just the person I _didn't_ want to see today."

"Ah, Tomura-san. Here I was expecting to only be entertained by Kurogiri tonight." The disguised young man smiled, turning in his chair with a shit-eating grin. "Come and join us, would you?"

"Just hurry up and leave," Tomura scoffed. He walked over to the bar and sat two seats away from him. "Something strong, Kurogiri. I want to forget this guy is even here."

"Shigaraki…"

"Shut up and do it, idiot."

"I don't understand why you always mistreat Kurogiri, Tomura-san. He has done well by both of us, after all, Good leaders don't push valuable subordinates away." The tone of his voice was _too_ polite, condescending even. He knew this would grate on Shigaraki's nerves.

"Shut your trap. You're the last person I want advice from." Tomura snatched a cup of hard liquor out of Kurogiri's hands. "Shouldn't you be back in Tokyo playing up that harmless good guy schtick?"

"Well, I had a report to give to our master. I also thought I'd drop by and check on you. Figured you might like some company considering your inability to attack All Might like you wanted."

"You bastard… you just came to laugh at me," Tomura's blood-red eyes practically glowed in the dim-lit room. "You're lucky master won't let me kill you. Though I wonder if that applies to making that jaw of yours disintegrate. I'm sure your fans would _love_ that."

"Come now, Tomura-san. Relying on threats now? You used to be so much better at throwing insults." He rested his cheek in one hand. "I think you're letting your anger get the better of you."

"Like a _Quirkless_ brat like you could understand. What I'm doing takes a lot more than a shit-eating smile for the cameras." The cup in his hand turned to dust in his grip.

"Ah, there it is. It seems all you needed was some prodding. A few more drinks and maybe you'll forget your failure soon enough."

"You little…"

" _Alright, you two. That's enough."_

 **(My Hero Academia OST: You Can't Run)**

A mirthful laugh echoed around them. The three immediately turned their attention to a television at the end of the bar. A figure shrouded in darkness appeared on the screen.

"Greetings, sir," Kurogiri said with a polite bow.

"Master," Tomura and the disguised young man uttered at the same time.

" _You two ever so love to tease one another. While it's all in good humor, we all know where such banter can lead,"_ their 'master' said, his voice low but sweet to their ears. _"We should be celebrating your reunion, instead. After all, you've been stuck in Tokyo for some time."_

"Sadly, I can't stay for long. After all, I do have an image to maintain." The young man smiled at the television. "Still, it's good to see you a bit more directly this time, master."

" _The same to you. I imagine things must be going well for you if you've come all the way to Kamino for your report. Is that man still ignorant to your true intentions?"_

"I do believe so. Even if he's aware, I'm far too useful for him to get rid of anytime soon. He'll likely bide his time. While I will do the same." The young man's smile grew into a devilish sneers.

"Tch. You're just dragging this out longer than you should," Tomura scoffed, turning back to the bar and picking up his drink. "You should just hurry up and end him. You're just giving the 'final boss' a chance to level up until he's too strong for you."

"I appreciate the thought, Tomura-san… but I'll be doing this my way. Killing him would be too easy. I want him to have everything before _losing_ _ **everything**_ **.** " His voice dripped with hatred and resentment.

Their 'master' laughed heartily. _"There's nothing wrong with proceeding with your plans at your own pace. But remember that my offer is still on the table. We can end him at a moment's notice. You only have to say the word."_

"I do appreciate the offer. And if I feel that he's going to make a move earlier than originally guessed, I will take it into consideration." He gave a small a small bow of his head. "But I have to do this my way. Only then will I feel fulfilled. Only then will I be ready to accept a Quirk from you, master."

" _I understand. We three all carry that same hatred. We must fulfill it in the ways most satisfying for us."_ His master chuckled. A machine beeped from his end of the screen. _"So, was that all you wished to say?"_

The smile on the young man's face fell into a resting frown. "No, not entirely. I'm sure you've all heard of these 'Phantom Thieves of Hearts' by now, correct?"

"Tch, yeah. Another group of do-gooders. What about them?" Tomura huffed, sipping from his drink.

"I believe they're using methods similar to mine to cause these 'changes of heart' in their victims."

This brought Tomura and Kurogiri to pause.

" _I see. Someone else with access to that world like you."_ Their master linked his hands together. _"Does this pose a problem to your plans?"_

"Not at all, but it's debatable if things will remain that way. If they continue to target bigger criminals, they just may end up with that man in their crosshairs. But I need to learn more about them before such an idea becomes palpable."

" _I see. Proceed with caution, then. Though I believe I don't need to tell you that."_ Their master nodded. _"I'm sure you'll be able to deduce their intentions and identities in time. Though, would you like help dealing with them when the time comes?"_

"I should be fine alone. Whoever they are, I don't believe they have the same experience I do in that world. Besides, it might be fun to play them up a bit before setting up their ultimate downfall," the young man shrugged, leaning forward on the bar. "They might make for an interesting 'rival' until the time comes. As things are now, I'm truly unopposed. Having someone to challenge might not be so bad."

" _If that's what you believe, then go ahead. But temper your expectations… and your pride."_ The warm voice turned grave. _"An upstart can turn into your worst nightmare if left alone too long."_

"Of course. I won't drop my guard simply for fun. I'll handle them all in time."

* * *

Kaneshiro griinned as one of his men open a silver briefcase packed to the brim with money.

"This is the earnings of the month, boss. Your plan to distribute those drugs around has been really taking off!" his lackey praised.

"Of course it did, moron. I'm a genius." He leaned over his spoils and pulling out a wad of cash. He listened to the yen flip as he dragged his thumb down the end. "What a beautiful sound. Looks like we're going to celebrate tonight."

"Yay~! You're so amazing, honey!" The arm candy next to him giggled, leaning over and allowing him to lock her hips with his.

"We're proud to call you our boss!" His lackeys chanted, each of them grinning.

"Well, don't just stand there. Get us some drinks!" Kaneshiro ordered, causing his men to scramble.

"Yes sir!"

 _Those idiots in the Eight Precepts thought I couldn't do anything. But who needs a good Quirk when you're so damn smart?_ Kaneshiro placed the stack back in the case before leaning back on the couch. _I'll show those fools. Once I've made enough money, they'll understand who they doubted so much._

"B-Boss!"

Kaneshiro frowned when he heard one of the grunts yelp. The panic in his tone ruined Kaneshiro's good mood. "What is it?"

"I-It's um… it's HQ. They just called…"

Kaneshiro tensed up briefly, but he managed to regain his composure soon enough. "What about them? Out with it already."

"T-They're um… on their way here."

Every hair on Kaneshiro's body stood on end. "R-Right now?! You're shitting me! What did they say?!"

"J-Just that they were coming to pay you a visit! They didn't say why!" The grunt squirmed under his gaze.

"Who exactly?! Who's coming?!"

"T-They said… the boss himself."

Kaneshiro was persperating before, but now he was drenched with sweat. "N-No… Chisaki is..?" He stood up from the couch, tugging his arm away from his girlfriend. "Get everyone out! Clear this club out before he gets here! Make sure it's clean as a fucking whistle!"

"But babe, I thought we were-"

"You! Get the hell out! I don't have time for your shit right now!" He threw her to the floor, not bothering to watch her run off and wail. "And you! Take the money and put it in the back!"

"Y-Yes sir! We-"

"Don't bother. It can stay."

Kaneshiro's purple skin turned a paler shade, his arms falling limp at his sides. To his horror, the man he feared most waltzed in with complete disregard for the thugs standing around.

He was a young man in his twenties as gaunt and pale as the grim reaper himself. Purple fur lined the collar of the forest green bomber jacket he wore over a dark dress shirt and slacks. His piercing gold eyes contrasted sharply with his spiky black hair. The lower half of his face was completely hidden by a gold-tipped plague doctor's mask while his hands were kept in surgical gloves.

"B-B-Boss!" Kaneshiro whimpered. He immediately bowed his head in supplication. His men immediately followed suit. "Welcome! I-It's a pleasure to have you here with us!"

"I wish it was a pleasure to come here," Chisaki coughed as he took a whiff of the air. "This place is still a pigsty."

"I-I'm sorry that it's not up to your standards, sir! We'll try to improve from now on!" Kaneshiro spewed out, raising his head to look at his subordinates. "Hey! Hurry up and bring a chair for the boss! And make sure it's clean!"

"Y-Yes sir!"

"It's alright. The couch seems fine." Chisaki sauntered over to the couch Kaneshiro had been sitting on. His eyes narrowed as he looked back atKaneshiro. "Which part did you sit on?"

"R-Right here…"

"Okay." Chisaki immediately moved to the side that the fat gangster had not been sitting on. Kaneshiro would have normally been pissed or agitated by the action, but the overwhelming fear he felt dispelled that kind of thinking. "Someone come and prep this for me."

"Yes sir!" Two grunts rushed over, brushed the cushion off and laid out plastic wrap for him to sit on. Chisaki let out a small hum before nodding, taking a seat on the couch and crossing his arms.

"Your men are well-disciplined, Kaneshiro. I thought they'd all be slobs mucking the place up."

Kaneshiro tried his best to make his laughter seem natural. "O-Of course, boss! I make sure my men know their place!"

"Is that right?" His eyes bored into Kaneshiro's skull. "Because I get the feeling you don't know **yours.** "

Kaneshiro dropped to his knees and prostrated himself before him. "P-Please forgive me, sir! I-I know exactly where my place is under you!"

"Do you? Funny." Kaneshiro swallowed hard when Chisaki opened the suitcase of yen. "Because this looks like a lot of money. Now, unless this dump is doing twenty times better than I estimated when I gave it to you, I can't help but feel that you're doing something else on the side."

"W-Well, sir-"

"After I _specifically_ told you not to."

Kaneshiro summoned his courage, slowly raising his head and holding his hands up in surrender. "I-I understand, boss. B-But you also said we needed to make more money! I-I simply set out with a plan and have been able to accumulate a vast amount of money in a short amount of time! All for the good of the clan, like you wanted!"

"All for the clan, huh?" Chisaki picked up a stack of cash and flipped through its contents. "Don't get me wrong. I've got no problem with the idea of peddling drugs. I don't care who you use or how. But the moment one of your men slips up, or your little drug runners gets caught by a cop, it falls apart."

"W-We could easily silence any idiot who would cross us, though! We wouldn't-"

"The Heroes would be all over that. Say what you want about All Might, but he's made operations like this look like complete shitshows." Chisaki placed the money back in the case. "And if your drug peddling brought attention to us before we're ready to even begin trying to produce those bullets, we'd be dead in the water. All. Thanks. To you."

Kaneshiro grit his teeth, struggling to keep his disdain hidden.

 _This little shit! I've been doing this work while you were still in grade school! Don't act like you know better!_

But he kept his mouth shut and took it. He couldn't risk talking back to this man.

"As much as we need more money, it won't mean anything if we end up getting busted before we can even use it." Chisaki continued, staring forward at the suitcase. "This is a good amount of money, though. We'll accept this and put an end to your operation now before it gets too big."

"B-But sir! I promise it can get bigger without causing too much noise! If only you would-"

Kaneshiro froze when Chisaki placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Kaneshiro. I'm well aware of the kind of man you are," he said, his voice void of any emotion. "You're ambitious. People can say what they want about you and your Quirk, but I can tell. You don't need one to succeed."

"Huh?" Kaneshiro blinked owlishly, staring wide eyed at Chisaki in awe.

 _Is he… acknowledging me?_

"You're a man who sees an opportunity and tries to make something good out of it. It's rather admirable."

Kaneshiro felt his heart lighten. He never heard such praise from any of his brothers above him. Most had treated him like a joke, calling him a fat waste of space. _T-This is…_

"In most cases, a man like you would be a valuable asset to me."

Kaneshiro immediately tensed up when the fabric of his suit exploded from his body. His heart pounded in his ears when he realized that the surgical glove on Chisaki's right hand was missing.

"But that kind of ambition… it's just a hindrance."

Kaneshiro wanted to cry out in pain. His skin and blood bubbled just from Chisaki's touch. He trembled viciously as he weakly attempted to wriggle free. "P-Please, b-boss…" He squealed, tears streaming down his face. "I-I can be… valuable…"

"No. Your problem is that you're too ambitious, Kaneshiro. I've got no doubt that you would turn on us eventually. Maybe even sell us out to some Heroes and the police," Chisaki shook his head casually. Kaneshiro swelled up like a balloon ready to burst at the slightest touch. "Maybe even use the drug peddling business to your advantage and point everyone our way. And I can't have that."

"P-Please-boss!"

"I won't let anyone's ambition get in the way of my own. I'll pay back the boss…"

 ***POP***

"... And cure this world of its sickness."

The blood drained from all of Kaneshiro's lackeys. It happened so quickly. None of them could process exactly what happened to their boss. Some of them vomited while others trembled where they stood, fearing what would come next.

"Shit, this is the worst part of doing this…" Chisaki grumbled, whipping his arm to toss the blood off. " Hey, one of you bring me a towel and alcohol wipes."

"Y-Yes sir!" The men scrambled for the requested items. None of them wanted to be the next target of Chisaki's terrifying Quirk.

He paid the goons no mind, narrowing his eyes as he scrubbed the blood off himself with a moist towelette he had in his pocket. "So dirty… everything is so dirty…" Hives broke out across his face. The yakuza boss growled and scrubbed even harder.

"I'll clean it all… and anyone _else_ who gets in my way."

 **To be continued…**

 **Thanks as always goes to reppuzan for helping me clean this up!**

 **Well, that was certainly a big chapter. Perhaps not in length, but in scope. A lot is coming out from the big news of the Phantom Thieves, and not just that everyone's starting to notice them. We're seeing everyone it affects… as well as what it changes.**

 **I wanted to make sure my easter eggs were placed well across the chapter, and that they all were relevant in one way or another to the overall arching story. My beta reader wanted to make sure that there wasn't anything there for nothing, so I made sure to only include things that will hold relevance as the story goes on.**

 **And now begins the biggest canon deviation to date. Kaneshiro has been eliminated from the game, and I'm sure you can all guess who will be taking his place as the next Palace target.**

 **Things got a bit gruesome there at the end, but there's nothing very gentle about Chisaki's deconstruction Quirk. And no one more suited to be in possession of something so terrifying.**

 **Though even Chisaki's introduction to the story might not be considered the biggest revelation considering some of the things that went on here. I'm sure that people who have beaten Persona 5 will understand this the most.**

 **One thing I would like to address is that, yes, that was Kasumi from the Royal trailer. It came with much debate between me and my beta and a friend, but ultimately I didn't want to exclude her. She's going to be in the story, though her real relevance to everything will come later, perhaps when I've spaced things enough so that I can know the full scope of her integration into the group. Just know that I won't jump the gun and have her join the team willy nilly. I'm going to make sure I get adequate information before that happens. So, effectively consider her sidelined. Why she hasn't come up in the story yet will be explained in the next chapter.**

 **Anyways, that's all I've got for this chapter. I do hope you all enjoyed this, as I've been planning a lot of these reveals for a while now. Please be sure to leave a review, a follow and a favorite if you'd be so kind. And maybe even add to the TVTropes page when you get the chance. Later!**


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